Sweet Scent of Redemption Rain
by Sango-hanyou
Summary: *complete* (sequel is up, "Light of the Jewel")Shippou and Rin have been taught to leave behind thier pasts, but something is bringing them slowly back up. Is it Kikyou or Naraku?
1. Summoned

Sweet Scent of Redemption Rain  
  
Disclaimer: No.I sadly do NOT own Inuyasha & co. *throws myself on knees* I'm not worthy!! So, read on with this knowledge: Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, I don't own, So you can't sue!  
  
Lol, read on!  
  
Preview: Shippou and Rin are older now. Rin is a demon exterminator like Sango, and Shippou is a cold, angry youkai like Sesshoumaru. When they meet on one of Rin's jobs, they struggle with their feelings of loneliness and bitter loss.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
*~ Shippou remembers a little group of six, traveling together always to piece back an ancient magical jewel.  
Rin remembers those happily ignorant moments spent adoring a stoic monster. ~*  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
The villagers spotted the woman barely even a quarter of a mile away. On one side, walking with feminine grace was a cat youkai. On the other was a spot, which was sure to have been occupied once, but was empty now. She wore a normal woman's kimono that was blue and white. Over her right shoulder was a white thing that looked to be fluffy. Her hair was onyx colored and shimmered in the afternoon rays. Although one could most likely not see it as I could, her eyes were hazel, and almost completely devoid of any emotion. She was, to say the least, the most different woman I'd ever seen.  
I watched from my normal point looking from a tree. I came to the village often to oversee how it was doing. It was a village in the Western Lands, the vastest territory of all four in Japan. It was mine by a default, a mistake if you will. The great Inuyoukai's lands. I would not have gotten them easily. Looking back at the woman, I stole a glance at the cat beside her. Something seemed the strike my memory, but I just couldn't figure out what that was. I pushed the thoughts aside and went down to find the village miko.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
Absent mindedly, I gently ran my hands over the pelt given to me by Sesshoumaru. My heart shuddered with the sudden turn of my thoughts. The fire cat beside me seemed to be content, but this was not my sentiment. I hadn't felt contentment in almost three years, ever since Sesshoumaru left me. I turned to my friend.  
  
Kirara meowed in reassurance without my even telling her what was wrong. I laughed, and said, "I feel as if you may have done this before!" Kirara just meowed again.  
  
That is the bad thing about animals and some youkai. They can't speak. It's sad really, because no one but them ever knows of their past. What do they do with their troubles? I sighed, knowing that only them knew the answer. I looked around the village as we entered it. The huts were like that of a village Sesshoumaru used to go to a lot.  
Berating myself for thoughts of him again, I watched the village in its moments of life. Here and there were children, playing with pets and annoying their mothers and fathers. Women were doing their daily chores and chatting with other women or their teenage daughters. I grimaced.  
  
"Kirara, maybe this is a bad idea." I voiced my thoughts.  
  
I hadn't been to the Western Lands in the two years after my decision to leave his castle and become a demon exterminator. I was a little unsure about coming back, but the village miko promised a sum. Normally, I did these things for free. Anything to keep my mind off the hole in my heart.  
  
Kirara meowed and continued walking, which I took as a sign that she did think it was a good idea. I followed her.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Upon entering the hut of the village miko, I found the last person I would like to see. Even though Naraku was good as dead, she somehow survived. I can still remember Inuyasha's roar of hate to find she had not died and laid her soul to rest. Inuyasha had gone for more than three weeks, traveling to all the villages he could so he could find her. This is why Kagome left. Kagome was my mother stand-in, and Inuyasha, somewhat like my father. Even Miroku was my family, despite his lecherous ways.  
  
I announced my presence furiously, though she already knew I was there.  
  
"Kikyou!" "Hello. I am afraid I do not remember you." She said.  
  
She sounded sweet, the ways Kagome had always told me she used to be before Naraku made her soul hatred in its purest form. I was not so easily deceived.  
  
"I traveled with Inuyasha, then I was younger." I told her, trying to jog her memory.  
  
"Ah, I remember now. You're the kitsune." She laughed. "You were a cute little thing."  
  
To me, her laugh was disgusting. It was hollow, and held no warmth, not even the tiniest bit of life. It was not like Kagome's. But what had I been expecting? I was being like Inuyasha. This is something he could have done. He was always mistaking the two, though it's not easy to do, he did it. And chased Kagome away. I tore my thoughts to shreds mentally. My stare was cold as Kikyou got up and came over to me.  
  
"And let me guess, you're the youkai I've summoned to help the village with this demon?" Her eyes were as cold as I remembered them.  
  
"Yes." I said, anxious to leave Kikyou behind and start on my work, "What kind of youkai is it?"  
  
"I believe the villager who saw it, said it was a hawk." Kikyou replied.  
  
I was silent for a moment. All the things in this town were dredging up some kind of person in my mind, someone I remembered. The harder I thought to bring that person to light, the farther they came into darkness. I left the hut. I didn't need Kikyou to find this demon; I could do it on my own. However, my leaving was not exactly done alone. A woman was standing in my way now.  
It was the woman with the fire cat. Looking closely, this cat looked familiar too. The sword that used to belong to Inuyasha, the Tetsusaiga, was pulsing at my side. I wondered vaguely if this woman had anything to do with it.  
  
"Can you move, please?" She asked impatiently.  
  
I moved to the side and obeyed, but did not go to slay the demon as I planned. I went just outside the door of the hut, though I could have heard them from just about anywhere in the village with my youkai hearing.  
  
"You must be the demon exterminator." I head Kikyou say, "Welcome to our village."  
  
"My name is Rin, and this is my companion, Kirara." My heart stopped.  
  
Kirara was Sango's, how did this. Rin, get a hold of her? My mind was dragging up my last memories of our little group's days in hope that I could find out what happened to Sango. So far, I could think of nothing. I leaned closer to the door.  
  
Kikyou made no sign of recognition to the cat, and said, "I hope you do not mind, as this is a fairly powerful youkai, but I have invited another person to help you."  
  
"I need no help, you can send them off." Rin said.  
  
Her voice was easy to tell from Kikyou's lifeless screeches. It was like a nymph's, so beautiful and musical. But there was an emotion in her voice that I couldn't myself identify.  
  
"On the contrary. Why don't you meet him, he's just outside?" Kikyou suggested.  
  
I didn't feel much like making myself known to the woman, but I didn't know these lands as well as Kaede's village, so I left to be found. She came out a second later.  
  
"Who are you?" She asked immediately.  
  
Up close, she was very beautiful. I berated myself for thinking so, but she was. Now I could see her eyes even more clearly than before. To find them blue. They did not show her soul like most eyes I've seen, but they were mirrors into your own. She reflected everything that I was feeling. I shuddered.  
  
"My name is Shippou. I am here for the youkai." I explained.  
  
"Well you can leave, I need no help." She said.  
  
"No, I can't leave. I'll do as I promised." I told her. Who did she think she was?  
  
"Then stay out of my way." And with that, Rin left. Kirara followed her noiselessly, and I wanted to call out to my childhood pet, but I dared not. 


	2. Seeing is Believing

~No POV~  
  
Kikyou walked farther inside the hut after the two had left, and outside through a small opening in the back. There, in the closed off area, was a tree, but it had no branches. It was more like a log, stuck into the ground. At the base, tied by rope, was another woman. Kikyou smirked.  
  
"Are you ready to hand over the shard readily?" Kikyou asked.  
  
The woman stuttered and told Kikyou to do something that needs not be written down. Kikyou laughed.  
  
"I won't give up, but I don't want to have to use force upon such petty creatures such as yourself." Kikyou said.  
  
"G.go to ..hell!" The words stumbled over the woman's lips.  
  
"Been there, and being one of those whores who traveled with Inuyasha, I would have suspected you knew that. But then again, what you know and don't know tells me a great deal." Kikyou said.  
  
Then Kikyou stepped forward, lifting up the woman's chin none too lightly. She looked for a necklace at the girl's throat. Sure enough, a long thin chain could be seen. Kikyou took the chain up, and glinting at the end like forbidden treasure was a part of the Shikon no Tama.  
  
"Now, I wonder why this piece is so big. Why, exterminator, do you not have the whole Shikon no Tama?" Kikyou's curiosity overrode her desire to be cruel.  
  
"I.I woul.wouldn't be.likely.. to tell.t-the dead!" She said.  
  
"Very well. Have it your way." Kikyou said.  
  
Grasping the chain, Kikyou gave it a tug, and it came loose off the girl's neck. On the end, was the Shikon shard, fairly large in comparison to some of the shards she'd seen. Then, Kikyou summoned her soul-catchers.  
  
"Take the woman to her village. Leave her with the priest there." Kikyou ordered them.  
  
Kikyou untied the woman and the soul-catchers, only four of them, took her away and over the high lands. She flew in the clouds in the clutches of monsters, the pains of her injuries coming to her even more now. Upon a hill, there was a small village, around it a wooden wall that seemed to have stood quite a while. The soul-catchers swooped into the town and the villagers were instantly frightened. They apparently found the priest's hut, and dropped her in front of it roughly, where she fainted.  
  
~Miroku's POV~  
  
I walked the beautiful path near a waterfall I'd taken so many days before. I had the distinct feeling something was going to happen today. Not decided whether or not it was good or bad, I'd finally succumbed to wearing the cursed jewel shard. I still remember that fateful day we'd beaten Naraku, and Kagome, deciding that in order for Naraku to never surface from Hell ever again we were to split the jewel shards among us.  
  
%! FlashbacK !%  
  
Kagome walked toward them, the complete Shikon no Tama in her hands. It was radiating the usual crude pinkish tinge. Kagome shuddered, and Inuyasha stepped towards her, putting his arm around her.  
  
"I strongly believe that in order for Naraku to never come back from Hell, we must split the Shikon once more." She spoke. Her voice shook slightly.  
  
"But Kagome, if we do that we'd have to recover them all again." Sango said.  
  
"If I do it, yes. But if someone else does it, no." Kagome said. This confused me.  
  
"Kagome, how will the jewel in pieces stop Naraku coming back?" I asked.  
  
"If the jewel is broken, purified, and in the hands of pure holders, it won't be tainted in the least." Inuyasha's brother spoke. I had almost forgotten he was there.  
  
"We'll split it between those who are able to give a helping hand in a defeat once again, shall Naraku rise despite precaution." Kagome said.  
  
"I understand." Inuyasha said.  
  
None of us quite understood exactly why he said that at that moment, and paid no heed.  
  
"So who must break the jewel?" Sesshoumaru asked.  
  
"Someone who is pure without being miko." Kagome said.  
  
"So anyone here?" I asked.  
  
"No, I didn't quite say that. Someone pure doesn't necessarily mean any of us. We have our dark desires and intentions just as well as any normal hu- err.. Individual walking this earth." Kagome said.  
  
"Childlike innocence." That was Sango. Now I understood it.  
  
"Shippou.and that girl with Sesshoumaru." I breathed. Kagome nodded.  
  
"Rin." Sesshoumaru said.  
  
I thought he was saying this to correct me, when in fact he was calling the little girl none too far away. Inuyasha beckoned to a frightened kitsune. Sango took Shippou's hand, and went over to Rin, took her hand too, and went over to Kagome. The rest of us crowded around.  
  
"Rin, this is Shippou. He's about your age." Sango said.  
  
"Hi Shippou!" "Hey Rin!" They both said at the same time. Rin blushed and Shippou laughed.  
  
Kagome knelt down next to them. "I want you two to listen to me very carefully. This is the Shikon no Tama. We need to break it, but since it's so special, and you are too, we want you two to break it together."  
  
"You mean we can break it and not get in trouble?" Shippou asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yay! This will be fun." Rin giggled.  
  
"When I say three, I want you two to stomp on it, ok?" Kagome instructed, putting the jewel in front of them, "You need to hold hands too."  
  
Shippou made a face but let Rin grab his hand tightly in hers.  
  
"One.. two.THREE!" Kagome said.  
  
There was a crunching sound of glass on rock, and when the little ones pulled their feet away, the jewel was mere shards. Kagome quickly bent down and the rest of us backed up a little.  
  
"What are we supposed to do with it now?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Don't ask questions." Kagome said.  
  
"But-" Inuyasha started.  
  
"Don't." Kagome said.  
  
Getting up from the ground, She started at the toddlers who were still holding hands. Shippou, who noticed this, let go pretty quickly. I grinned, someday he wouldn't mind too much. Kagome handed Shippou a shard. I gasped. What the hell did she think she was doing?!  
  
"Kagome!" I said sternly.  
  
"If Naraku ever did come back, they'd be older then, and completely able to help." She said.  
  
"Rin doesn't use weapons. She is not violent." Sesshoumaru said.  
  
"She'll have to when she's older." Kagome said.  
  
Sesshoumaru looked as if he wanted to make a reply to this, but decided now was not the time to fight. I was relieved. When Kagome was done handing the shards out, there were seven. The smallest pieces fused with the big ones and made one shard for everyone.  
  
"I'll make a note that there are seven shards only. Seven is all. There should also be something in our memories about this. There are seven shards, seven people completely able to defeat Naraku should he try." Kagome said.  
  
I made mental notes for myself. Shards were given to me, Sango, Inuyasha, Kagome herself, Sesshoumaru, Rin, and Shippou. I felt as if maybe we were being a little.crude in our plans.  
  
Without another word, the two groups of people beside me bore to their respective sides. Rin went to Sesshoumaru, and I noticed with a feeling of definite happiness that Jaken had not been entrusted with a shard. The ugly toad looking about to explode with anger. %! End of Flashback !%  
  
Walking back to the village I now called home, I felt sadness. The group of friends I considered family was no longer there. I couldn't go back to Kaede's village by Kagome's well and see them waiting for me, happy like it used to be. Inuyasha had disappeared as had Sango, Shippou had left somewhere to the South, even Kirara was gone, and Kagome. Kagome had gone down the well a week after Naraku's defeat and I hadn't seen her since.  
My thoughts were slightly interrupted when a scared villager raced up to me, his shirt falling off his shoulders and an attempt to catch giant heaving breaths back. I stopped in front of him and waited patiently for speech.  
  
"Houshi-sama, there has been youkai about!" He gasped.  
  
"Where are they, what did they look like?" I asked immediately.  
  
"They were giant white snakes! They had a young woman with them!"  
  
My eyes flashed recognition. The only white snakes I knew of were the soul-catches Kikyou used. I wondered if that meant that Inuyasha had found her and put her soul to rest. The fact that she might have been with them did not escape me.  
  
"Where is she?" I asked.  
  
"By your hut!" He said.  
  
I did not wait to hear more, I rushed off immediately. If Kikyou was here, surely Kagome was too? I stopped as I came in sight of her. She was so familiar from here.. Wait.could it be? 


	3. I wish I could Remember

~Sango's POV~  
  
A faint smell of earth and food awoke me at last from what seemed to be eternal sleep. I opened my eyes and looked around, and for a fleeting instant, almost believed I was still with Kikyou- and then I saw Miroku.  
  
"Miroku!" I tried to jump and hug him, but my ribs screamed in protest and my back made me wince.  
  
"It would be easier if you did not move." Came his reply. No hello?  
  
That was my next question. "Almost, I think six, seven years without crossing paths and I get no hello out of you?"  
  
"Hello." Miroku said. He was calm as was his will to be, but I sensed something was wrong.  
  
"Miroku." However, when he did not reply, I almost started again. He cut me off.  
  
"What were you doing in the presence of soul-catchers?" He asked me. He did not look at me however.  
  
"Oh. I obviously should have said something about that. I don't remember much though." I said.  
  
He was silent. So I continued. "Kikyou is working for Naraku." At this, I finally got a response.  
  
His form tensed, he seemed rigid as a board, and I could tell his stare averted toward the hand that had formally bore the wind tunnel. His hair covered his eyes so I couldn't tell what his thoughts were. I continued.  
  
"She plans to capture all the seven who have the Shikon shards. That means that everyone who was there is in danger from Kikyou." I said. I knew he didn't need to hear it, but I felt the need to say it. "I believe she summoned two of us, though I couldn't exactly tell who it was."  
  
"You would obviously have trouble to tell, seeing as you were already half unconscious by the time you got here. They dropped you in front of my hut." Miroku said.  
  
"Then we are in my village? I heard Kikyou's orders to them. She told them to bring me to my village and the priest, but I assumed she meant Kaede's village." I said.  
  
"I have the right to assume that you have not been anywhere near Kaede's as well then?" He asked finally looking at me.  
  
His eyes were something that I used to be able to define with ease, but now. It seemed to me they were a completely different language of emotion.  
  
"Yes." I replied.  
  
"Why Sango? Why have you stayed so far away?" He asked.  
  
"Why has Kagome? Why has Inuyasha? And Rin, Shippou and Sesshoumaru? Why have any of us?" I said defiantly.  
  
"I would have expected you to." He trailed off and didn't complete his sentence.  
  
"Right, I know, but things are different. We went our separate ways and we thought Kikyou was dead." I said. My voice was strangely quiet.  
  
"Not me. I knew otherwise, as did Inuyasha. Didn't you know, Sango? Weren't you there to see where everyone went?" Miroku asked. Hurt was plainly there.  
  
"No. I didn't even take Kirara with me when I left."  
  
"So I have noticed." Miroku said quite coldly, "Inuyasha knew Kikyou not to be dead about a week after Naraku was gone. He found her scent somehow. He's been going all over Japan trying to lay her soul to rest, and he left us behind at Kaede's. Kagome, who we all knew was in love with Inuyasha, left through the well after three attempts to stop Inuyasha. I haven't seen her since, but she still probably has her shard. Sesshoumaru, Rin and Jaken have all gone their way. I heard that Jaken died in a battle between some youkai attempting to lay claim to the Western Lands, which must mean Sesshoumaru is gone. As to the whereabouts of Rin, Shippou and Kirara, I do not know." Miroku explained.  
  
"Is Inuyasha still looking for Kikyou? I know where she is." I said firstly.  
  
"It's obvious you know, but that means that Kikyou has moved or doesn't care because you no longer have your shard."  
  
I looked, and gasped. "She took my-?!"  
  
"I can understand readily enough as to why she captured you." Miroku said, getting up from beside my bed. I pulled the sheets closer around me.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Sango, isn't it clear? She wants to regain the Shikon no Tama and call back Naraku from hell." Miroku said, completely blunt.  
  
"We've got to go after her. We must find everyone with a Shikon shard. We must." I said. If Naraku came back, we might not be able to defeat him.  
  
I remember what Kagome had said about us all. "I'll make a note that there are seven shards only. Seven is all. There should also be something in our memories about this. There are seven shards, seven people completely able to defeat Naraku should he try." Kagome had known he would have help.  
  
"No. We should gather the seven and regroup to kill Kikyou. It's time she faced her fate. As for Naraku, if we track down the others before she does, then she won't be able to call him back, and we'll have the clear shot to her." Miroku planned.  
  
"That's a good idea. Let's go as soon as possible." I said.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
That foolish youkai trailed behind me silently. He was so familiar. If I could just figure out how I had known him. Had Sesshoumaru known him? Maybe Jaken? No. Sesshoumaru hadn't known many good people and normally kept me from meeting them. Jaken, well, Jaken never let me meet the people he knew for his loathing of my humanity. I struggled to remember.  
Kirara was beside me the entire time, but I never took notice because she was almost always there. I felt a breeze grow from feeble to strong and gusty and back again. I knew we were close.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Every five minutes I would debate whether or not it was safe to call Kirara. What if this was a different youkai? But I was quite sure that this was Sango's pet. My head was throbbing with questions about this girl. I felt as if I had to make conversation, to make her say something, answer my questions, anything.  
  
"What's your name?" I asked when the wind was soft and light. I caught up to her side.  
  
"None of your business." She said, averting her eyes.  
  
"I told you mine, you tell me yours." She sighed.  
  
"My name is Rin." She said before gesturing to Kirara, "And this is-."  
  
"Kirara." I said, "I know."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"None of your business." I said and walked a bit faster, then flew up into the sky to get to the demon first. I heard her swear and she broke into a run.  
  
"Kirara!" She called. I heard Kirara transform to her bigger form. Soon they had caught up with me.  
  
"This is not your demon to slay, youkai!" She yelled.  
  
"On the contrary, it is!" "I don't remember it having your name on its ass!" She said, now ruthlessly close.  
  
I sped up, determined to make it to the demon before her.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
This youkai was arrogant and cocky. Kirara and I were close, but then, he sped up. I cursed under my breath. I could have sworn I'd known someone just like this. Other than Sesshoumaru of course. Sesshoumaru was different than this. He knew how to keep it in line, and he was never arrogant to me.  
  
"If you don't want me to slay it first, come and catch me!" He yelled back.  
  
"Shippou! You're the most arrogant youkai I've ever met!" I yelled. He just laughed.  
  
"Do I get a prize?"  
  
"Oh shut up!" I called.  
  
We rounded a bend of trees and came across the river that ran to the village. He was still ahead. I was letting him get to me, I could tell. It was an enjoyable moment, as I was almost toying with him. He knew it, just as well as I did. Coming into the bottom of a small nearby castle, I had recognition.  
  
'This is where I used to live with Sesshoumaru.' I thought.  
  
It was. It was the same castle where Sesshoumaru had taken me to live after bringing me back to life. My breath caught in my throat. I had no time, however, to see if he had come back, because the castle was inhabited. It was the youkai we needed to slay.  
  
"Rin!" I heard him yell. Kirara moved just before a blast of fire came our way.  
  
Jumping off, I looked to Shippou. He drew a sword that looked as if it could barely cut firewood, much less kill a powerful youkai. The moment he took it out, I was stunned.  
  
"Shippou, it won't work!" I called.  
  
My warning was useless as the sword transformed before my eyes. Now I remembered. That was Inuyasha's sword! "Tetsusaiga!" I whispered. I took out the sword that used to belong to Sesshoumaru. "The power of Tetsusaiga, and Tensaiga."  
  
"Rin, look out!" I dodged as another jet of flame came passing by.  
  
Realizing Shippou might barely know how to use Tetsusaiga, he would never be able to use the two swords together. I switched swords for the only one I had that would fight. And I was quickly joining the fray.  
  
"Little late are you?"  
  
"Better late than never!" I said to him.  
  
The Shikon shard I possess helped me to move faster than the average human. And it gave me more strength, so that after every time I fell, I just got back up. The fight went on and on.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Rin was lasting well, especially since she was human. I didn't have to look after Kirara; she was quite capable of that herself. I didn't know how to use Wound of the Wind like Inuyasha, so I was reduced to slash and hack haphazardly.  
The youkai was not a hawk as Kikyou had said, but a Bird of Paradise. I remembered my first encounter with them was when Kouga the wolf prince had captured Kagome taking me with her by accident. They were vicious, and I was uneasy about there being only one. From what I learned with that encounter was that these birds traveled with maybe twenty or thirty others at a time.  
  
"Shippou!" I heard Rin call. I looked over at her, "Do you know Wound of the Wind?"  
  
"No! I wasn't taught that!" I called back.  
  
"Just sense the energy!" She instructed.  
  
I stopped hacking at the youkai and tried to focus. Without warning, I began to see colors. Four. Then I saw three, and it narrowed to two.  
  
"What do I do now?"  
  
"Go for the rip in the middle of the energy! Where the two meet!" She called.  
  
She was slashing artistically at the youkai as if she'd been born with the sword in her hands. I watched for the rip. It came. Slashing down the middle I caught it with the sword. Then I heard Rin scream.  
  
~Miroku's POV~  
  
Sango was walking ahead of me, limping ever so slightly. I wondered if we'd make it this time. Of course, I hadn't told Sango that I had never been rid of the wind tunnel in my hand. I felt the hole get just a bit bigger.  
The wind tunnel had been growing so slowly it had been unnoticeable. Now I knew and understood. Naraku wasn't coming back; he was already back. In Onigumo's form. Onigumo was Naraku, therefore if Onigumo came back, that meant Naraku was back too. I gazed silently at the blue peaceful sky. No.we won't make it.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Sheathing Tetsusaiga, I went over to Kirara. I had used the Wound of the Wind. I finally put my hand over Kirara and petted her. Stopping I asked myself what I was doing. I looked at Rin's body. I didn't know yet if she were dead or alive. I sighed.  
  
"Well Kirara, it's good to see you again." I said.  
  
I went over to Rin. Then I remembered who she was and how I knew her.  
  
%! FlashbacK !%  
  
I watched as the little girl went around me in circles, laughing with a gap toothed grin. Kagome and the others were talking to Inuyasha's brother. Then Inuyasha beckoned me forward.  
  
"Rin, this is Shippou. He's about your age." Sango said.  
  
"Hi Shippou!" "Hey Rin!" We both said at the same time. Rin blushed and I laughed.  
  
Kagome knelt down next to us. "I want you two to listen to me very carefully. This is the Shikon no Tama. We need to break it, but since it's so special, and you are too, we want you two to break it together."  
  
"You mean we can break it and not get in trouble?" I asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yay! This will be fun." Rin giggled.  
  
"When I say three, I want you two to stomp on it, ok?" Kagome instructed, putting the jewel in front of them, "You need to hold hands too."  
  
I made a face at having to hold hands with a girl, but did as Kagome said.  
  
"One. Two. THREE!" Kagome said.  
  
Rin and I stomped on the precious jewel that all of us had worked so hard to piece back together. I was utterly confused, but didn't actually say anything about it.  
After breaking it, Rin and I were handed a few pieces. The shards I was given glowed faintly, and fused together. I was dead curious. The adults after a bit of talking, left their separate ways. Rin went to Sesshoumaru and that ugly toad, and I went to Kagome and Inuyasha.  
  
%! End of FlashbacK !%  
  
I was frozen. Rin. She had a Shikon shard. One of the seven who had one in case Naraku came back. That explained why she had Kirara. Actually, no it didn't. I picked her up in my arms. Placing her in front on Kirara, I climbed up behind her.  
  
"Kirara, let's go back to Kaede's village." I said.  
  
Kirara took up into the air, and I held on tightly, clutching Rin.  
  
~No POV~  
  
Kikyou went back to the clearing behind her hut. There she saw the giant cat in the air carrying two people.  
  
"Seems that the bird is dead. Now to tend to Inuyasha." She spoke to herself.  
  
Crouching down on the ground she called upon her miko magic. After she was done she went back inside her hut, saying as she did so:  
  
"Now he will realize my presence and come looking for me."  
  
~Sango's POV~ "Miroku, where do you imagine Inuyasha is?" I asked.  
  
We'd been walking for a while, and was now far away from my village. It seemed to me that Miroku hadn't forgiven me for something. I couldn't understand what, and I hadn't pressed it. He will tell me in his own time.  
  
"I'm unsure of just where he was last, but I believe we should retrace our steps." Miroku said.  
  
"You mean go back to Kikyou's village?" I asked, perplexed.  
  
"No. I mean we should go back to where it was I knew him to be last. I saw him last at Kaede's. We could go from there."  
  
I nodded.  
  
I hadn't been to Kaede's, preferring to keep with my exterminator business down farther south, leaving what happened behind.  
  
"And what about Kagome? Inuyasha's the only one who ever went after her to her own time. She could be anywhere there." I asked.  
  
"We will deal with the predicament that is Kagome later. Inuyasha is first off. Inuyasha should be able to get Kagome, although that might be dangerous."  
  
"Dangerous?"  
  
"Think about it Sango. We're older now. Kagome should be in her twenties, and her world is as vast, if not larger, than our own. I understand from Inuyasha that he never had to go far to find her then." Miroku said.  
  
"Alright." I said.  
  
We stopped and made camp that night near a mountain that we knew. These lands were our home; we'd traveled over them so many times that we knew everything so well. But after almost. After so long they seemed so foreign to me. I couldn't understand what was wrong. Miroku was different. He was no longer the lecherous ass whom I'd traveled with before. His carefree air was gone to be replaced with something that didn't suit him. He was serious, concerned about something. He didn't want to tell me.  
Leaning against the bark, I was soon asleep, safe in my homeland.  
  
~Miroku's POV~  
My thoughts earlier had not exactly disappeared. My conclusion about Kagome hadn't wavered either. Not to mention we didn't know anything about Sesshoumaru and Rin. Shippou we could search for easily enough. Inuyasha wouldn't prove to hard either. I couldn't help but think that we still didn't stand a chance.  
Being young had proved our advantage. We were fresh to our task, ready for action. And now? Now we were unsure, no longer at ease with our actions, and it would take us forever to predict a move. This seemed most difficult. It was a battle Naraku wanted after all. The vengeance he'd lost the years before. And Kikyou. What were we supposed to do about Kikyou?!  
I felt my calmness disappear. How were we supposed to win?  
  
~Rin's POV~ 


	4. The Past is the Past

~Rin's POV~  
  
I woke to soft fur. Instantly I recognized Kirara. What had happened? I felt someone behind me, and turned to look. It was the youkai, Shippou. Where were we? My head was pounding like a giant drum.  
  
I obviously asked my questions.  
  
He looked a bit surprised that I was awake, but answered nonetheless. "We are going back to a village I know. You were attacked by the youkai just as I found the Wound."  
  
"Oh. So it is dead?" I asked.  
  
"Yes." He replied. He helped me into a sitting position, and then put his hands on my waist. It was unexpected, but I let him hold on.  
  
After a few hours of flying, we stopped Kirara.  
  
"Do you know how far away this village is?" I asked, exasperated.  
  
"Yeah. We're half way there now." He said, "I'll go get firewood, you stay here."  
  
I didn't argue. Shippou had been strange toward me all day. True as it was I did not know him all that well, but it was as if he knew something I didn't, and was reluctant to share it. I didn't question him much on it when he got back with firewood and some dinner.  
  
After eating, I said, "I'm going to take a shower."  
  
"Wait a moment." He said. "Hn?" I asked.  
  
"How do you know about the Tetsusaiga and the Wound of the Wind?" He asked.  
  
I didn't know how to explain it. I just told him, "I knew its owner."  
  
"The true one?" He asked. I didn't quite know what to make of that.  
  
"What do you mean its 'true' one?"  
  
"Did you know the hanyou Inuyasha?" He asked. He was looking at me now.  
  
"Yes, but I was speaking of another." I said.  
  
"Sesshoumaru? I was right." He said and sat back against the bark of the nearest tree.  
  
"Right about what? Knock it off, stop being so damn cryptic!" I was getting frustrated.  
  
"Rin, I knew you! When we were kids, we helped defeat a hanyou named Naraku!"  
  
I froze. "Shippou?"  
  
"I was the kitsune who held your hand and crushed the Shikon no Tama. I am right in saying we both have Shikon shards." It wasn't a question.  
  
Realization dawned on my face.  
  
%! FlashbacK !%  
  
I watched the others disappear, and saw Inuyasha's silver head go slowly down the hill to the village beyond. On the girl's bike was the kitsune who had helped me break the Shikon. I smiled, silently making a promise to find him again someday. I waved, though no one but Jaken noticed. Jaken cussed at me. I giggled as Sesshoumaru kicked him in front of us.  
  
"Will we ever see them again Sesshoumaru-sama?" I asked.  
  
"Maybe, Rin. Not now, however." He said.  
  
%! End of FlashbacK !%  
  
"The kitsune, Shippou." I breathed. He nodded.  
  
"Where is your Shikon shard?" He asked. I dug into my neckline to find it.  
  
Lifting it up, I said, "Where's yours?"  
  
He unsheathed Tetsusaiga, and I became alarmed. Was he going to take my shard? "Shippou?"  
  
"Here." He said.  
  
I glanced at Tetsusaiga, and saw that his shard was bound tightly to the hilt.  
  
"Coincidence meeting you. Where is all the people you traveled with?" I asked.  
  
"I could ask the same of you." He said, but complied to my question anyway. "I do not know what has happened to every. I know that Sango and Miroku went to rebuild Sango's village, and Inuyasha was trying to lay to rest Kikyou's soul, but of Kagome I don't know."  
  
"Wait, just a minute!" I said, "Kikyou? Who is she?"  
  
"The miko at the village where we slayed the youkai. She is dead, and doesn't belong on earth. That's why we're traveling to her sister's village."  
  
It sounded like lunacy to me. "Is her sister alive?"  
  
"I believe so, yes. Although I have not seen Kaede for many years." Shippou looked a bit distressed.  
  
"What is Kikyou doing alive?" I asked.  
  
"She was resurrected some years ago though the part of her soul that Kagome has, and old witch was the one who did it." Shippou explained. "I believe now that it is your turn to explain." I blushed.  
  
"Sesshoumaru didn't give me my shard until I was good enough with a weapon, which wasn't until I was ten. Three years after that when I was thirteen, he left me. I don't know where he went, or where he is right now. He might not even be alive." My eyes shimmered a bit, I was sure. I had never come to the conclusion he might be dead.  
  
"And Jaken?"  
  
"Jaken I'm sure is dead. He was killed when he wandered accidentally into a fight. They were fighting over Sesshoumaru's territory." I said.  
  
"The Western Lands, right?" He asked.  
  
"Yes." I said.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
I guess I was a bit vague on some of my explaining, but on the other hand, it was a little too much. How long had I known Rin? I had met her as a kit, yes, but we had known each other barely three days' worth of time. Could I even trust her? Our conversation turned to her, and when I asked about the Western Lands for which I control now, I was unsure of whether or not I wanted her to know that I owned them. So I just asked more questions.  
  
"And how did you get Kirara?" I knew that one was burning in my mind.  
  
"Kirara.well." Rin looked toward the sleeping youkai, "I found her near an old well. We've just been together ever since."  
  
"I see. Why did you become an exterminator? It's a coincidence, but Sango used to own Kirara, and Sango was a demon exterminator as well." I asked, a little suspicious.  
  
"One day I was walking through a village, and they were being attacked by some youkai, and so I helped them out a little, and the miko there suggested I become an exterminator." Rin explained. I said nothing. I guess it was time to tell her.  
  
"Do you know who owns the Western Lands now?" I asked.  
  
"No, why?" Rin asked.  
  
"Because I do." I said.  
  
"Wait.wait. You own the Western Lands now?" She asked, shocked.  
  
"After Sesshoumaru disappeared, they fell to Inuyasha as the only surviving kin of the great Inuyoukai. When he went to search for Kikyou, he left them to me." I said.  
  
"Why would he leave them to you?" Rin asked.  
  
"I suppose it was because when I was little, my parents were killed, and when Inuyasha and Kagome found me, I considered them my parents. Maybe Inuyasha looked to me as his son?" I said.  
  
"Maybe. Can I take my bath now?" Rin asked.  
  
"Oh. Yeah. Just watch yourself. We're in Inuyasha's Forest." I said.  
  
"Ok. I'll leave Kirara here." Rin said, walking toward the lake we had seen on our way here.  
  
I sat and watched the fire, occasionally putting on more wood, thinking. Why had Sango left Kirara? Where was she now, with Miroku? What happened to Inuyasha? And Kagome? I was so full of questions, that I fell asleep, slumped against the tree.  
  
~Miroku's POV~  
  
Sango and I had taken a night to rest and where now only three miles away from Kaede's village. We sure had traveled fast without Inuyasha and Kirara. Sango had been silent for some time after we shared everything. My mind was once again on my horrible prediction that we would not make it. What inside me wanted not to hope anymore?  
  
~No POV~  
  
A certain hanyou in red was terrorizing the forest. Jumping and running faster than man, he was searching for her- for Kikyou. Suddenly, he stopped. Jumping into a tree, he raised his head to the breeze.  
  
"Kikyou!" Inuyasha yelled to the forest below.  
  
Nearly 500 years in the future, a woman suddenly stopped walking with her friends. She gasped, clutching for something at her neckline.  
  
"Kikyou!" Kagome said.  
  
~Sango's POV~  
  
We had finally entered Kaede's village. I thought it was humanly impossible that we had gone so fast. That or the lands were shrinking. I decided not to think about it and just be happy that we had made such good time. Miroku stopped a villager to ask about Kaede, where he learned about it.  
  
"I'm sorry, houshi-sama, but the miko Kaede has passed." She said.  
  
It was bad enough that Miroku hadn't tried to grope the pretty villager, confirming my suspicions he was completely changed, but that Kaede was dead? How much time had passed, and how could any of us have not been here?!  
  
I gave dry sob. Miroku put his arm around me and said to the villager, "We were very close to Kaede."  
  
The villager nodded, and went on her way. Eventually, Miroku released me realizing that I was no longer crying. We made our way to Kaede's old hut, and found it empty. Apparently, it had not been too long ago that she had died. I voiced this, and Miroku nodded.  
  
"We will take this hut as our home here." He said.  
  
"Alright." I said. I set my large boomerang in the corner. Amazing that I have had it all this time.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
When morning came Shippou and I were on our way again. I was riding Kirara, and he was walking beside me.  
  
"You can ride if you want to." I told him. He looked at me a little startled.  
  
"No thanks. I like to walk." Shippou said. He smiled. I loved the way he smiled. It had the effect of a beautiful firework. It lit up my features with a smile as well.  
  
"Do you know of a landmark I can look out for?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, a dry, unusual well." He laughed. Soon, I was laughing too. I came to see it might just take us a while longer to get to the village.  
  
~Kagome's POV~  
I hadn't said her name in a long time. But there I was, stopping at the sidewalk with a few of my friends, and I had said her name. I thought I had felt her presence. Was I wrong? Grasping the Shikon shard I hadn't ever taken off before, I felt it. It seemed everything was all right.  
  
"Kagome?" A friend of mine stopped too.  
  
"I'm alright." I said. Upon seeing that there was nothing wrong, they continued walking. "Guys? I think I'm going to go home. See you later."  
  
A different friend said, "Ok, bye Kagome!" They said their goodbyes and continued window shopping.  
  
I raced back to my car and drove home. When I got there, I ran all the way up the steps and into the old shrine that housed the Bone Eater's Well. Maybe I should go and see if anything's wrong? I didn't give myself time for an answer. Jumping in, I felt once again that pang of familiarity.  
  
'Inuyasha, I'm coming!' I thought.  
  
~Inuyasha's POV~  
  
Feeling her somewhere. where was it?! I was growing even more frustrated. I had felt her presence. Maybe it was far. I jumped tree to tree and tried to find the dark dead miko who had plagued my conscious too long. It was Kikyou's time she met her death and faced the consequence of her action.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
Shippou and I were well on our way to the village when I spotted the well first. It was wooden and had no bucket. I remembered this place. We defeated Naraku somewhere close.  
  
"Shippou, there it is!" I said.  
  
"Ok, lemme on." He said, and jumped onto Kirara behind me. Kirara sped up, and I felt very apprehensive.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Rin was a bit tense under my hands, but seemed cheerful anyway. We were crossing the clearing of the Bone Eater's Well, when I saw a head pop out. My first thought was Kagome, but I realized it would be a slim, if impossible chance.  
  
"Hold it!" I said. Rin turned around.  
  
"What is it?" She asked.  
  
"Someone in the well.." I said.  
  
The person was lingering in the bottom, and almost didn't come up at all. I pushed Rin behind me, but she just sidestepped and stood to my left. I didn't know I was holding my breath before I let it out. A girl arose within the well. Rin gasped.  
  
"Is she-?" Rin didn't finish her question. I gripped Tetsusaiga.  
  
"Hello?" The person called. My heart leapt. Kagome!  
  
"Kagome?" I questioned.  
  
She hopped out of the well, and I just about toppled her over. It was Kagome! She was a little different from what I remembered her to be, but nonetheless it was she. She had matured a little more, and was about full- grown. She was a little shocked to tell the truth.  
  
"What the-?" She asked.  
  
"It's me Kagome!" I said. "Shippou!"  
  
"Shippou?! Oh! Wow!" She exclaimed. Kagome about squeezed the life out of me.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
"Hn?"  
  
"I'm being squished worse than Myoga." I gasped.  
  
"Oh. Right." And she let go. "Who is this? Kirara too!"  
  
Petting Kirara, she looked at Rin.  
  
"That would be Rin." I told her. "I can speak for myself." Rin retorted.  
  
"Rin? Uh." I could tell it was not ringing any bells as Kagome stood up in thought.  
  
"One of the seven Shikon protectors." I reminded her.  
  
"Oh! Hi Rin." Kagome said. I laughed and Rin relaxed a little.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
Needless to say, Shippou's laugh relaxed me a great deal. I was still unsure about Kagome. Hell, I was unsure about Shippou. But there was something about the youkai that I just couldn't help. He was handsome. and sweet. funny. down to earth. I shook myself roughly. There is no need to get all buttered up about some guy. The Shikon, if what Shippou claims is true, needs my protection. The Shikon Shard anyway.  
  
"Hello Kagome." I said after she said hello. Kagome looked around the well.  
  
"Where is everyone Shippou? And Sesshoumaru and Jaken? Where are they all?" Kagome asked. Shippou hung his head. I exhaled deeply.  
  
"This might take some explaining." I said.  
  
"First, let's go to Kaede's village. It wasn't safe when Inuyasha was here, now it's even worse." Shippou said.  
  
As Kagome got up on Kirara, and nudged Shippou in the ribs. I gave him and exasperated look.  
  
"You have to make it so obvious? Wait until we've explained!" I hissed.  
  
He put a hand behind his head and laughed nervously.  
  
"Sorry. heh."  
  
I got up after Shippou and wound my arms tightly around him. Breathing in his scent, however undetectable it was, I fell into a slight daze. Was this man intoxicating or what! 


	5. My Will

~Kagome's POV~  
  
To say the least, I had no idea what I was doing here. I hadn't come back after I left Inuyasha, and I had never intended to. So why was I here now? And where was Inuyasha that made it unsafe now? I wonder why I was summoned. It must have been Kikyou. An accusation formed in my mind. I suppose it's irrelevant, but my guess what that Kikyou wanted the Shikon no Tama again.  
  
"I want to know what happened." I said abruptly.  
  
"What?" Rin asked.  
  
"I want to know everything. Where everyone went, what they did, and where they are now." I repeated.  
  
"Well, we can tell you what we know, which isn't much, but hopefully Kaede will know more." Shippou said.  
  
"Some of what we know may not even be true." Rin interjected.  
  
"What do you mean? Then how did you find anything out?" I asked, curious.  
  
"Most of what we know is only by Shippou and I combining what we found out through rumors." Rin explained.  
  
"And even what we know for sure may not be true." Shippou said from behind.  
  
"I see. I don't think it would matter anyway, as normally rumors in this place are normally true." I said.  
  
"Not now they aren't. People seem to want to see youkai, because they claim the wildest stories now." Rin said, "In any case, I've been pushed around the country because of these lies. They're just seeking attention."  
  
I suppose Rin was right, but I didn't voice it. The one burning question in my mind they obviously didn't have an answer for. I waited to ask the rest of my questions and for them to explain. It wasn't that long, and we touched down just outside Kaede's hut.  
  
~Sango's POV~  
  
"Miroku, you won't believe whose here." I said.  
  
"Hm?" He asked. He was leaning over some map or other.  
  
I had just seen Kirara outside, which made my spirit soar, with Kagome in the middle of a girl and boy.  
  
"Miroku!" I yelled.  
  
"What?!" He asked. Clearly he was aggravated.  
  
"Kagome and Kirara are here!" I said.  
  
"OH!" He got up immediately, upsetting the small table and falling backward.  
  
I ran outside to greet our old friend, who was likewise ecstatic. That saved us the trouble of having to navigate her somewhat vast world. I hugged the life out of her, I'm sure.  
  
~Miroku's POV~  
  
Getting up from the spot I'd fallen, I saw Sango run out of the hut. I might have guessed that Kikyou would show her presence to Kagome by now, and wasn't the least surprised she was here. If Kikyou wanted the Shikon no Tama, she had to have all of us, including Kagome. I'm sure given the chance, Kikyou would kill Kagome after taking her shard, but that's something we need to prevent.  
Seeing her here made me think that Kikyou was luring Inuyasha as well. I felt her presence strongly, but was not easily lured. I had no bind to Kikyou, as Inuyasha and Kagome, and in so doing she would have to capture me if she could. Yes, I am a bit cocky at this subject.  
  
I walked outside and greeted Kagome, "Ah, one more of my old friends!"  
  
"Two." The man beside her said, getting off of Kirara. The fire cat meowed.  
  
"Three, my apologies, Kirara." I said.  
  
"And an a shard." The girl said.  
  
"How is it I have three and a shard?" I asked, smiling kindly.  
  
"It's me, Miroku. No one recognizes me!" The man said, slightly distressed.  
  
"Not ringing bells." I said.  
  
"Shippou the kitsune, damnit!" He said.  
  
"Oh! Hello Shippou." I gave him a friendly hug, and turned to the lady beside them all, "And you would be? The shard?" I laughed.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
He was so arrogant I wanted to punch him. However as it was their friend, I did nothing.  
  
"I'm one of the seven," I corrected, "My name is Rin."  
  
"Ah, seven with a jewel shard. I understand. You would be the little girl that traveled with Sesshoumaru."  
  
"Good memory. I didn't know until last night." Shippou laughed.  
  
"I was quite a bit older at the time, if you remember Shippou." Miroku said.  
  
"I was there too. And I don't remember her." Sango said.  
  
"I do." Kagome interjected, "She and Shippou crushed the Shikon so we could take the shards."  
  
"Ah," Recognition dawned on Sango's face, "Now I remember her."  
  
"Well hello." I said.  
  
"We are being rude." Sango said, "Come in."  
  
"Hey! Where's Kaede?" Shippou asked. I knew when he asked it was a mistake.  
  
Sango turned away and wiped her eyes, and Miroku looked suddenly sullen, and he tensed. Shippou seemed not to notice.  
  
"We'll tell you everything inside." Miroku said.  
  
Everyone went inside, and I followed wordlessly.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Something must have happened to Kaede, I knew it. After I said it, the mood changed. It wasn't happy anymore.. It was sad, mixed with regret. But I followed inside and Rin went behind me. I felt as if it were just old times. Kagome sat where she normally always used to, Sango sat where she used to sleep, and Miroku sat in his old place. We were missing Inuyasha. I saw Kagome sneak a peek toward where he used to sit, and she averted her eyes downcast to the floor. I felt sad, remorseful.  
  
"So what's this all about?" Rin asked. She sat with me in Inuyasha's place.  
  
"Kikyou." Miroku said.  
  
"We already saw her." I said.  
  
"I know, but you most likely would have known sooner, if she had let her presence known. She was in hiding, now she is not." Sango said.  
  
"You tell us what you know, and we'll tell you what we know." Rin said.  
  
"All the better, this is about the Shikon no Tama." Miroku began.  
  
"I knew it." Kagome spoke quietly.  
  
"You did?" I asked.  
  
"Yes. That's what drew me into the feudal time again. I would not have come if I did not feel it, and I'm quite sure Inuyasha felt it too, wherever he is." Kagome said. Here and there after little words, and very noticeably after Inuyasha's name, her voice caught, "She's after the Shikon, but I'm not sure exactly what her aim is this time. It could be anything."  
  
"No, it couldn't." Sango said. Kagome looked up, her eyes shining.  
  
"Kikyou has one aim we know of. She is working for Naraku. She captured Sango, and took her Shikon shard." Miroku explained.  
  
"Then it's true she's trying to catch us all?" Rin asked.  
  
"Yes, Rin. If she doesn't Naraku can't resurface. He did go to hell when we all defeated him, but Kikyou escaped and none of us noticed except Inuyasha. That's where he is. Ripping up and down the country trying to lay her spirit to rest." Miroku said.  
  
"And that's why I left back to my time. I kept my shard so that if he did come back, I could too." Kagome said.  
  
"Right. And after that, Miroku and I left to rebuild my village, and I left Kirara behind." Kirara gave a somewhat reproachful meow, but seemed to have forgiven Sango for leaving her.  
  
"Then Sesshoumaru left me when I was thirteen, and Jaken died in a youkai battle. I came across Kirara, and we've been together ever since." Rin explained.  
  
"That's good." Sango said. Rin glared at the fire.  
  
"I left because it was just me and Kaede. And then a few days ago I was summoned by Kikyou." I said.  
  
"Exactly. She knew where everyone was, having kept tabs on them." Miroku said.  
  
Rin jumped beside me, and I was quite sure she was thinking of Sesshoumaru.  
  
"She captured me the same way, except that she had a villager inside her hut and had them explain they were the village miko, and sent me in back of the hut where she captured me with soul-catchers." Sango said.  
  
"But why then, did she not do the same with Shippou and I?" Rin asked.  
  
"Easy. She wanted you two later. She needs you Rin." Miroku explained.  
  
"Why me?" Rin asked.  
  
"Sesshoumaru." I said. "Kikyou must not know where he is if she needs Rin to bait him."  
  
"But she doesn't need my shard for that, and if she had taken it and he's kept tabs on me, then he would have come to rescue me." Rin said quietly.  
  
"Rin, I don't think that's the case." Miroku said.  
  
"If he had been watching you and keeping tabs, then he would have come when the Bird of Paradise attacked you and knocked you unconscious." I said.  
  
"Oh." Was her feeble reply.  
  
Her emotion about Sesshoumaru was tearing at me. I didn't even realize that it was her pain I was feeling until I put my hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Then I had to ask.  
  
"What happened to Kaede and why isn't she here?"  
  
Miroku looked even more sullen now. "Kaede-sama has. Passed away. Just a few days before Sango and I arrived." I tensed. Kagome let her tears flow freely, and Rin put a hand on my shoulder now.  
  
"Was anyone here for her?" Rin asked.  
  
"Only the villagers, and I'm sure she was happy." Miroku said, "Unfortunately, we all expected Kaede to live forever as was her will."  
  
"One of us should have been here." Kagome said firmly.  
  
"I know, Kagome. But what could we do?" Sango said, speaking to the fire.  
  
"You should have come and checked on her!" Kagome yelled.  
  
"Calm yourself." Rin said.  
  
"I will not! Not when Kaede is gone, Inuyasha is bent on the will of a dark dead miko, Sesshoumaru could be dead as well, and we aren't enough to defeat him!" Kagome yelled, springing to her feet.  
  
"No one planned this, Kagome." Miroku said, likewise standing.  
  
"He did! Naraku did, and you know it!" Kagome was screaming now.  
  
"There is no way." I said.  
  
"There is. Shippou, don't you see? He wanted this to happen! He was waiting for us to split up, HE KNEW IT ALL!" She screamed.  
  
"Kagome! He could not have planned it! There isn't a way he could! It's Kikyou who did it, but no one caused Kaede's death!" Sango said in a rush.  
  
"He did, I know he did it!" Kagome yelled.  
  
Rin sprung up as well and tried to get Kagome to sit down. Kagome merely shook her off.  
  
"Naraku knew he would leave! This is HIS fault! It's all his fault!" Kagome said, now sobbing. Rin got her to sit down, and Kagome sobbed into Rin's shirt. "Kagome, we know that it's painful, Kaede was a good woman, but this is not Naraku's doing. Kaede was old, it was her time." Miroku said.  
  
"According to her," I said quietly, "This is Inuyasha's fault too."  
  
~Miroku's POV~  
  
I couldn't believe it. How could it be Naraku's fault if he's burning in hell? Naraku had no power there, as far as I knew, and Kikyou could never kill her sister. Wait. I don't know anything than what Inuyasha's said about Kikyou, and that isn't much.  
  
~Kagome's POV~  
  
"How could he leave me? How could he go and choose her!?" I yelled into Rin's shirt.  
  
I heard Shippou say, "He didn't, Kagome. He's trying to do the right thing and make her see that she needs to die. He didn't want to go."  
  
I pushed Rin away, "Yes he did! He didn't even say goodbye to me!"  
  
With that, I ran outside and kept running, toward the one place where I could leave it all behind. But instead of running to go to the well, I went to where it all happened first. Where I met him, where I released him from his prison. It was his fault, and I knew it. If only he'd stayed, then everything would be better now. Kaede wouldn't have died without any of us here. I was convinced it was his entire fault, his doing. He did it. Naraku was just my dummy. I knew Naraku was worse than dead, but I couldn't out and blame it on Inuyasha.  
It hurt. It hurt so bad. I couldn't be here anymore, it was wrong! I left, and when I did, I left this world behind. I left him behind. I had had no intention of coming back, of being here, learning these things. I didn't want to know! I reached his tree. The God Tree. I leapt up to where he used to be stuck to it, and I pounded it with my fists. I hit it, and kicked at it, tears splashing down my face. Why did he do this to me? Wasn't I important to him too?  
  
%! FlashbacK !%  
  
Inuyasha walked up to the tree and ran his hand over it.  
  
"Inuyasha?" I called softly.  
  
He started, then looked at me, "I was just thinking.about the first time we met."  
  
I was pleasantly shocked, "Really?"  
  
"Yeah. You know you've become the most important thing my life?" He said.  
  
This time, I couldn't speak.  
  
"I don't care about the Shikon no Tama or anything else, just you." He said, and pulled me close, "And maybe our friends. Maybe." I laughed.  
  
Gently, he kissed me softly on the lips. So soft I barely felt it. It was the strongest an emotion he'd ever displayed, even to me. Before I knew it, it was over.  
  
"No matter what I say, remember always, you're the most important." He said.  
  
%! End of FlashbacK !%  
  
He'd said it. And then he ran off with Kikyou! Or rather, to look for her, but what difference did it make? He'd left me when he said he'd loved me. I guess that was his will. What was mine? 


	6. I Always Seem to Leave

~Inuyasha's POV~  
  
I felt her closer. every time I felt I was getting close, she'd lead me farther. What was Kikyou doing? I felt someone else's familiar presence, but it was too far away to distinguish. I saw Kikyou's soul-catchers every now and then, glimpsing them between trees and brush. Over the river and cross the clearing, and the chase never ended. Until suddenly, I fell to the ground.  
It was so much like when Kagome used the word that I almost got up and shouted at air thinking it was she. I still wore the rosary; I had not the heart to break Kagome and my only tie. If she still cared. I remember telling her she was important. And then I remember seeing her cry before leaving us for the last time. I don't know if she's come back. I hope she has.  
Before I got up properly, I was shoved farther into the ground. Looking up, I saw someone I hadn't seen for the longest time. Not to mention didn't want to see.  
  
"Kouga!" I yelled.  
  
"Dog turd." He said back.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I asked, furious.  
  
"Going to get my woman. You chased her off, and now she's back. What?" He asked, looking at my oblivious look, "Don't tell me you didn't know!"  
  
"No, for your information, I didn't!" I shot back.  
  
"And you claim she's yours." He lifted his nose into the air, snobbishly.  
  
"I never claimed that!" I yelled.  
  
"Then why did you stop me from taking Kagome?" He asked.  
  
"I- " I didn't know what to say. What could I say?  
  
"I thought so." He said, and raced off. He no longer had the Shikon shards embedded in his legs and arm, so he was much slower than before, and if I had care to test it, probably a lot weaker.  
  
However, I was in a hurry. Too many things were stopping me from catching Kikyou. She was going to die, and that was it. She had her chance for redemption. No longer would I wait and try to redeem her soul to the gods. Forget it. And what about Kagome? I didn't understand how Kouga could sense her, but I had trouble with it. Before I could take another step, the ground below me crumbled, gave way and I fell through.  
  
"DAMNIT!" I yelled as I fell.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
I wasn't asleep, but my eyes were closed as I leaned against the wall. Kaede was gone. She had helped me; I had been the last to see her. See her here no less. I felt Rin lean up against me for reasons unknown. I was a little startled, but then again I was the only one here who actually knew her. I let her lean. It was actually comfortable. And her scent!  
Sweet sage rain. Herbs and flowers and the smell of rain. It consumed me, and soon I drifted to sleep anyway.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
What was I doing?! Leaning against him like this? I had no right. I half expected him to shove me off and yell at me. But he didn't. He just drifted to sleep. Ha, like I didn't know he wasn't asleep. The faker. But I let myself lavish in his smell, and I'm pretty sure he did the same with mine.  
Was I falling in love? Impossible. right? No way was I falling in love with a youkai of all things, and sleeping in that incredibly. wonderful. absolutely.. handsome. Oh boy. I'm in love. I'm in love! With Shippou! Oh gods, I can't do this. We're on a threat for Naraku and a walking dead miko! I can't fall in love like this!  
Unexpectedly, I found myself on my feet and walking outside. There was absolutely no way. I'd known him all of a week's time and I'm in love with him?! How crazy is this? I walked to the lake; at least there I can get away.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Why did she leave? It was so good, her warmth, her scent, everything. I was almost asleep too. Damn it all. That and she was going outside in almost the dead of night? Great. Just great. Even if she can take care of herself, I wasn't about to let her get away.  
My conscious led me outside, and my head was screaming at me. You're not in love, why the hell are you following her? You don't even know her. For all you know, she could have loved someone else. Hell, she could have loved Sesshoumaru. Though I doubted this.  
  
~Kagome's POV~  
  
I don't know when I fell asleep, or when I woke up. Just that it was dark. I saw a rustling the bushes, and believe me, I was frightened. Sure, I had wandered the feudal era for a good few years of my life, but I didn't have any weapon to defend myself, and Inuyasha was nowhere near me. Maybe I could call for Shippou? No. I had no idea how good he was fighting. Miroku was close he could help. So I did the only thing I could do. I screamed, and I screamed loud.  
  
"Stop it." I heard a voice. I recognized it, but I didn't know where from.  
  
"Who are you?" I asked, a little fear crept into my voice.  
  
"Exactly who you don't want it to be." The voice said. And I recognized it.  
  
"Kikyou!" I yelled. Then, deciding she was after my shard, I ran for it.  
  
"No!" Was what I heard from behind me.  
  
"MIROKU!" I screamed.  
  
However soul-catchers surrounded me and lifted me up above the village as I was just about to enter it.  
  
"No! Let me go! MIROKU!" I screamed.  
  
From the height I was at I saw the top of Miroku's head, followed by Sango's and Shippou was at the other end of the village. Rin was farther ahead. At my screams, they all turned and looked up. Sango threw Hiraikotsu, but it missed them completely. Miroku instinctively went to unwind the wind tunnel, but all was hopeless.  
  
"NO! MIROKU!! SANGO! NO!" And I was taken away.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
I saw Kagome from below, and Kikyou flying with another bunch of soul- catchers not far behind her. Kagome was knocked unconscious after Sango threw her boomerang, and Miroku was more than a little useless without his wind tunnel. It was up to Rin and I. Rin was already going.  
  
"Kirara!" She yelled.  
  
I flew up into the air myself as Kirara transformed and Rin jumped astride her. I could tell that Sango was a bit put off that Kirara wasn't assisting her, but Rin. There was no time to think about it, however, and I got out Tetsusaiga. I heard Kikyou's hollow laugh.  
  
"I see Inuyasha no longer has his precious sword." Kikyou said, smirking.  
  
"That's right!" I snarled.  
  
Rin had taken out Sesshoumaru's sword, the other one. I wondered mutely if we could try the power of both swords, Tetsusaiga and Tensaiga. I guess now wasn't really the time, though.  
I let my senses guide me like when we battled the bird of paradise, and I watched as three energies came into play, then two. Watching for the rip. I yelled as I found it, but Kikyou was already gone.  
  
"No! Kagome!" I yelled.  
  
I was too much like Inuyasha right there. This is what he did. I couldn't be that way; it would hurt Kagome too much. Instead, I flew to find them they couldn't have gone far.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
I watched Shippou fly after them, and Kirara and I sank to the ground. I wanted to go with him, but I knew that I had no right. He could do it himself; he was a big boy. I slid off Kirara and she transformed back to her smaller self. Just then, Sango came over to me.  
  
"Why didn't you let me help?" She asked.  
  
"What? What do you mean?" What WAS she talking about?  
  
"I couldn't help because I can't exactly fly. I needed Kirara." Sango said.  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry. Next time we'll both ride." I said and made to walk into the hut again, but Sango stopped me.  
  
"Next time, I'll ride." She said.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry that you left her so long ago and didn't take her with you. But she's my pet now!" Frustrated, I pushed her aside and went to go to sleep.  
  
How dare she speak to me like that? I have no idea what she's gone through, and I could care less. There was one reason I was brought here, and that was for the Shikon no Tama's sake. Not her. I take no responsibility for her flying off the handle because she left Kirara and didn't come back for her.  
Vaguely, I wondered if I should tell Shippou that Sango was furious that I had Kirara now. I decided not to, why should we be overburdened by pettiness?  
  
~Miroku's POV~  
  
Shocking. Just shocking. Kikyou turns up in the dead of night, kidnaps Kagome, and leaves the rest of us. What the hell was she doing? She had no plan at all as to how she was getting her shards. What if she killed Kagome? Kagome was key to killing Naraku again. We couldn't let her down, we just couldn't. Not again. I felt so useless. Needless to say, I went outside for some air, and found myself on the battlefield where we defeated Naraku.  
I yelled for whatever god was listening to return to me my Wind Tunnel. I knew Naraku wasn't dead, he never was. To condemn him to hell had no effect on his life, he was already dead. What were we supposed to do?! For once, I had no answers. I didn't know what to do, I didn't have a good enough plan, and my calmness and resolve were fading fast.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
I was swinging Tetsusaiga at her, having finally caught up. She was more formidable an opponent than I thought, because she sent Kagome on me. Kagome's eyes were blank, devoid of her natural life. It seemed Kikyou provided her with a weapon- her bow and arrows. This was dangerous, and I didn't have Tensaiga to bring her back, Rin did. Rin hadn't even bothered to follow us. I could have used help.  
  
"Kagome, don't!" I yelled at her as I dodged yet another arrow.  
  
I lunged at her and that was my mistake. She managed to lodge an arrow into my side. I temporarily ignored the pain. I changed the direction of my intent to Kagome's shard. If I couldn't get Kagome, I would get her shard. Damnit, I was being so much like Inuyasha! Caring more about her shard than her herself! No! I wasn't. Kagome would want me to keep the Shikon safe from Kikyou, because Kikyou still needed Kagome to bait Inuyasha. Or so I thought.  
Grabbing the Shikon shard at Kagome's neck, I ripped it off and leapt back.  
  
"No!" I heard Kikyou yell.  
  
I lunged again and caught Kagome's arm. But she dug in with her nails into my skin and forced me to let go.  
  
"Kagome!" I said as she drifted toward Kikyou.  
  
"I see you have what I want. For now. I have what you want, and I won't let it go!" Kikyou threatened.  
  
I turned and flew as fast I could to the village. It hurt too much to think it was Kaede's village as it once was. And now I had two Shikon shards to protect. What have I gotten Kagome into?  
  
~Inuyasha's POV~  
  
Getting up, more than a little pissed off, I saw someone go overhead. Damn Kouga. Stupid stuck up, egotistical bastard. I growled where I stood for most likely five minutes before I realized it was pointless. Then I heard someone behind me.  
Why was everything trying to stop me from getting to Kikyou?! My hand instinctively went to my side where Tetsusaiga used to rest, but I no longer had it. So I watched and waited, holding my breath somewhat. I saw no movement, but there was something looming, something big. I threw caution to the winds and went over to it, only to find it was a tomb. And it had Sesshoumaru's name on it.  
  
~Sango's POV~  
  
I looked asleep, I sounded asleep, and I didn't move. Why had I been so suddenly angry with Rin? I had no right to be. after all, it was I who left Kirara, not the other way around. I could have taken her, and yet I didn't. I felt something rise within me. I could feel it.  
Was this residual shard effects? I had worn the shard so long; I had never felt such an emotion come so fast. It was true Kikyou had my shard, maybe there was some way that we could get it back.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
Something was wrong. I could feel it. I went back outside, unable to stand the tension in the air. I walked to where I was intending to go in the first place. The lake nearby.  
When I got there, I just pulled up my kimono and put my feet in. I hadn't intended to take a bath here. That's when I heard Shippou returning. I stood up, but didn't put my shoes back on. What's the use?  
  
"Hey Shippou, did you catch them?" I asked.  
  
"I could've, if I had more help." He sounded irritable.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't think you needed me." I said.  
  
"Yeah, well, maybe I did. Thanks to you, I've lost Kagome to a walking dead imitation." He said.  
  
"This is not my fault. When had this become my fault? First, I get my head chewed off by Sango because SHE left Kirara and wasn't airborne, and now by YOU who believes it's my fault that no one helped you. In case you forgot it, Shippou, this isn't my village, these aren't my friends or family, and I have no one but Kirara." I said, anger in every syllable.  
  
He stayed quiet.  
  
I didn't have to stay here and listen to this. I had my shard to protect; I'm not here for anyone else's cause. Getting my shoes on, I called for Kirara.  
  
"What are you doing?" Shippou asked.  
  
"Leaving. I don't have to stay, and you can't make me." I replied.  
  
Kirara appeared a moment later, transformed, and I jumped on and left. My pain was a little renewed at losing someone again. 


	7. Never Failed Before

~Shippou's POV~  
  
Wait, what was she-? Oh no! She was leaving me here? But. I could do nothing to stop her, as it was her will. Damn it all! I hated this, what it was doing to me. Is this how Inuyasha felt? All those times Kagome left through the will with the empty promise that held threat over him? The promise she would never come back? And that was just what Rin just promised me. She would never come back. Not if I couldn't do anything about it.  
And when did Sango hate Rin so much for Kirara's sake? When? I missed something crucial along the line, and the price was Rin. Feelings so strong that I struggle to even define them.  
  
"Rin! Wait!" I called as she flew off with Kirara. She didn't reply. "Rin!"  
  
I wanted to fly after her, to tell her how sorry I was, to make it right, but something stopped me. I didn't care about her just for her shard. I hit the ground and slammed into it with my fists. Damnit Rin!  
  
~Inuyasha's POV~  
  
My brother is dead? When did this happen? I frowned looking at his supposed tomb. It was like my father's. I stepped back. He's not dead. He'd never be so foolish as to lose, and he's still too young to die. I stepped back again. Why did I know? Well there's only one way to find out if it's really him.  
  
"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" I yelled and directed the attack to his tomb.  
  
The door burst into bits and pieces of cement and shattered rain fell over me. It was a tunnel, dark, empty. I went cautiously inside. It was long, and damp the further I went. Finally I came to another door. This one was already broken.  
  
"What?" I asked aloud.  
  
I looked around the corner, and saw him. He was lying on his back in the middle of the giant room, on a small raised platform. I raced over to him. His shard was still there, glowing in between his body and the human arm he'd connected to himself. I shook him to wake him. If Kikyou was here, and Kagome was here, then something was clearly amiss, and we'd need all seven shards to help us. Unfortunately, this included Sesshoumaru. He didn't wake.  
I kicked him. No effect.  
  
"This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous." I said.  
  
I was getting him over my shoulder when something struck me from behind.  
  
"Agh! Damnit!" I said and turned.  
  
There behind me was Kouga.  
  
"Damn you Kouga! Knock it off!" I yelled at him.  
  
"What did you do, dog turd? Kill your own brother?" He asked, smirking.  
  
This was truly insane. "I found him like this. Not that it's any of your business." I said. Suddenly there was movement where I had put Sesshoumaru.  
  
Someone moaned. He wasn't. He couldn't be awake, could he? He was.  
  
"Sesshoumaru!" I said. He opened his eyes.  
  
"Inuyasha?" He asked.  
  
"We have to go!" I said and tried to take hold of his arm to lead him out, and he punched me aside.  
  
"I am quite capable of standing on my own. I need no help from half- breeds." He said. Normal cold voice, yeah, He was ok.  
  
"Something's wrong with-" I would have said it, but Kouga was there. No uses in having him know.  
  
"Never mind that." Did he understand my sentence? "Where is the dead miko?" I was stunned to say the least.  
  
"Kikyou? I was following her scent when I fell in here."  
  
"Typical mutt move." Kouga remarked.  
  
"Enough, Ass." I retorted.  
  
"You can't have them both." He said back. This was getting old, fast.  
  
"Will you both shut UP!" Sesshoumaru ordered, "Inuyasha, you must find the dead miko. She imprisoned me here, and I know of her plans. I left Rin both my weapons, and her Shikon shard. As for you, youkai," He pointed to Kouga, "I want you out of our way, otherwise I will deal with you in a most painful manner."  
  
Kouga smirked, "I'd like to see you try."  
  
In a flash, Kouga was up against the wall gripping his throat and choking.  
  
"I mean what I say, youkai." Sesshoumaru said dangerously.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
I didn't know where I was going, just that I was going somewhere. I recognized bits and pieces of places I passed before I remembered I wanted to take the Western Lands from Shippou. They were mine by right. I was the closest thing Sesshoumaru had to a child, and now I was older they belonged to me. I passed over a hole in the ground, and intended to keep going. Kirara, however, had other plans.  
  
"Kirara, why are you stopping?" I asked as she flew down to the small clearing.  
  
I slid off of her as she touched down, and gripped my sword. What was she doing? Kirara took off to the hole, and I raced after her.  
  
~Inuyasha's POV~  
  
We were half way along, after leaving Kouga in the tomb of course, when I saw a familiar fire cat. It was Kirara. She was alone, but someone else was in the tunnel too.  
  
"Kirara!" I heard. Was it Sango? No. Sango smelled different. Sesshoumaru, however, tensed beside me.  
  
"Kirara, knock it off, come back!" I heard more, "Kirara! Stop! Shippou could be following, and I don't want him catching up!"  
  
She knew Shippou? Oi was this confusing. Then the fire cat stopped beside us, and waited for whomever. Then I saw a girl. She was familiar, but I didn't care to pinpoint who it was. Sesshoumaru was very tense.  
  
"Huh?" She said. "Sesshoumaru?"  
  
"Who are you that you know me?" Sesshoumaru asked, although I was quite sure he knew who it was.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
He didn't. He didn't recognize me? I recognized him. Except that I had changed a great deal, and he still looked the same. I felt tears in my eyes.  
  
"You. You don't remember me?" I asked. Might as well talk the way I used to, "You don't remember Rin?"  
  
Sesshoumaru was so tense it seemed like he was a statue.  
  
"Rin? You're Rin?" He asked.  
  
"Hai." I said.  
  
Without warning, I ran at him. He tensed even more, though I don't know how he did. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him hard.  
  
"I thought you were dead!" I said into his shirt. He didn't move.  
  
Slowly, ever so slowly, Sesshoumaru hugged me back. By then, I let go.  
  
"This is Rin? Did you used to be a little girl?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"OH! We have to hurry. Now that I've found you I have to go back, but the others are at Kaede's-." I stopped. Kaede was dead, even if I didn't know her. I forced myself to say it, "Kaede's village."  
  
"Lead the way, Rin." Sesshoumaru said.  
  
~Sesshoumaru's POV~  
  
Here was the little girl who I had raised until she was thirteen. Here was my little girl. With the exterminator's youkai, and she was older. Sixteen by her looks. I had to tell them, Inuyasha and the others, what was going to happen. I had to tell them Kikyou's plan of returning Naraku, of taking the Shikon no Tama, and of kill Inuyasha's wench. I had to tell them, and so I let Rin lead the way toward this village. I knew we were in trouble, and I was trapped in a tomb since I left Rin that day. 


	8. No What If, Ever

%! FlashbacK !%  
  
I took both swords and laid them before her on the table. Jaken just gawked at them wordlessly. Rin was almost fourteen now, and had mastered one weapon in particular: a sword. I was being asked to come to a nearby town in my lands because of a pesky youkai. I wanted to leave Rin with more protection than just Jaken.  
  
"Rin, I am only going to be gone for a day at most, but Jaken hasn't been so reliable to leave you with since you were six. In any case, use these if you get into trouble. Not Tensaiga, that heals and resurrects, and it doesn't fight." I explained.  
  
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said.  
  
It was sheer luck that I managed to get that annoying talking habit out of her. She had learned to stop talking about herself in third person. Without warning, or before I even managed to see her (which was secretly a pride to see) she wrapped her arms around me in a hug. Jaken, sickened I would lower myself so, walked out of the room and I hugged her back. I would deal with Jaken later.  
  
"Are you sure I can use those swords?" Rin asked into my shirt.  
  
"Yes, Rin. Goodbye." I said, and let go.  
  
"Bye, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She called to me as I walked out.  
  
And that was the last time I'd ever heard Rin. The next day I was captured somehow miraculously, by that dead miko who has tried to kill Inuyasha on more than one occasion.  
  
%! End of FlashbacK !%  
  
~Inuyasha's POV~  
  
And I felt it again. It was softer, her presence calling out to me. And I felt another one. Two. Kagome! I felt their presence. Suddenly, I caught the glimpse of more soul-catchers.  
  
"Sesshoumaru!" I yelled from behind Rin on Kirara. It was a disgrace to me that I should ride her, but unfortunately, Sesshoumaru wanted to get to Kaede's faster.  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
"Kikyou's soul-catchers! And Kagome is here!" I called.  
  
He flew closer to Kirara. "Who is Kagome?"  
  
"The girl who used to travel with me. The one who wore the funny looking kimonos." I said.  
  
Sesshoumaru flew a little farther and faster than before. I suppose that's his way of letting me know he knows.  
  
"Feh." I said.  
  
Rin looked behind her, "What is it, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Him." I said and jerked my head in Sesshoumaru's direction.  
  
Rin looked. "What about?"  
  
"He's just a bonehead, ok?" I nearly yelled. I'm sure he heard me, but he didn't do anything. Good thing too, I didn't have Tetsusaiga to use.  
  
However Rin DID do something. She knocked me off Kirara, smacking me upside the head.  
  
"Ouch, BITCH!" I yelled. She was like Kagome.  
  
"Rin." Sesshoumaru said warningly.  
  
"Gomen, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said, "Let's get Inuyasha, Kirara."  
  
~Sesshoumaru's POV~  
  
It had been so long, and yet, she still obeyed me without thought. What did I do that made her adore me so? Saving her life was nothing. That was also just a mere test. I would admit to no one that Rin was the closest thing I'd probably ever come to have a daughter. Unless, of course, I was forced. Then I thought of my land. Who had control of it now? I flew closer to Rin after she got back into the air with a disgruntled Inuyasha.  
  
"Rin," I said.  
  
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She replied.  
  
"Do you know who has control of my lands?" I asked.  
  
"Hai. Shippou the kit- I mean, the youkai." She said.  
  
"A kitsune has my land?" I asked. I looked toward Inuyasha.  
  
It would, after all, have fallen to Inuyasha to control the lands of our father, and if he'd taken off to search for Kikyou, then he must have given the land to this Shippou.  
  
"Inuyasha. Who is this Shippou?" I inquired.  
  
"The kitsune who helped Rin break the Shikon no Tama. I suppose he'd be a youkai now." Inuyasha replied.  
  
I suppose it's a good thing that Inuyasha put up less fight that before. That and that he didn't have Tetsusaiga. I was not ready for a fight just yet.  
  
"We need to hurry to the village, Kikyou's plans must be in effect now." I said.  
  
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said. What did I do to earn her affection like this?!  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Rin was gone. I had chased off Rin. How horrible could I be? Gods, I'm turning into Sesshoumaru! I walked back to the hut, the wound in my heart more pronounced than ever. I walked in, and sat down in Inuyasha's spot.  
  
"Where is Rin?" Miroku asked.  
  
"She left." I said blandly.  
  
"Left? Why?" Miroku was inquiring me because we needed her. It was my fault now.  
  
It was my fault Kagome is gone, that I didn't know where Inuyasha was; it's my fault that we're one shard down that we were before. Kagome might as well have been saying it was my fault instead of Inuyasha's.  
  
"Because. I yelled at her for not helping me get Kagome. All I managed to get from Kagome was her shard." I said holding up the big shard that was Kagome's.  
  
"Then I take it Kikyou still has Kagome." Miroku said calmly.  
  
He was being such an ass. There was no way anyone could mistake it otherwise.  
  
"Of course she still has Kagome! Haven't you been listening to me at all Miroku?!" I yelled.  
  
"Peace, Shippou. I must confirm everything I hear." Miroku said.  
  
"How could you be so calm? You said that Kikyou was likely to kill Kagome after taking her shard! Kagome doesn't have a shard now to take! I have it! And now Kikyou's going to kill her!" I yelled, springing up.  
  
"Shippou now is not the time to blame, or suspect. I made a theory, and that is all it was. If Kikyou wanted to kill Kagome, I'm sure she wouldn't have been modest and done it away from you!" Miroku said, his calm ebbing away in spite of himself, "She would have done it right in front of you. But she didn't, did she? So she needs Kagome for something."  
  
I calmed myself and sat back down. But before I could actually calm down, someone said, "Hey, you're in my spot."  
  
I jumped to my feet; hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga, all prepared for a fight at the familiar voice. And then I froze. It was Inuyasha.  
  
"Inuyasha!" I exclaimed.  
  
I heard from behind me Miroku get up, and Sango, despite the fact she had tried to make us believe she was asleep. Inuyasha looked the same as he always had. Two others came in behind him. Inuyasha's brother Sesshoumaru, and. Rin!  
  
"Rin!" I said.  
  
"Shippou." She said calmly. Her eyes were cold. I didn't understand.  
  
"Where are the others?" Inuyasha asked, "Or do I have to drag Kagome into our time kicking and screaming?"  
  
I would have laughed, but instead I said calmly, "Kagome has been kidnapped by Kikyou. I tried to reach her, but all I could get was her shard."  
  
I stole a glance at Rin, who by my statement, was staring at Sesshoumaru. I felt a bitter jealousy coming from nowhere. And Sesshoumaru. what was his story?  
  
"I think we should stop going over pettiness, and piece together information on the dead miko's plan." Sesshoumaru spoke.  
  
"Yes, we need to do that." I complied and sat down where Kagome used to sit. It was a little crowded, but we managed.  
  
Sesshoumaru stood against the door, and Rin sat down somewhat beside him. I felt a growl crescendo in my stomach, but then realized I had no right, and listened as Sesshoumaru explained what he needed to.  
  
"I was captured somehow by Kikyou, just after I left Rin. It was by all means, an accident. She was foolish and cocky enough to explain to me her plan after paralyzing me in the tomb." Sesshoumaru said in his usual monotone, "Kikyou claimed that she would capture all of us and take our shards. She didn't take mine, but said that she would come back for it, and my death."  
  
"Then why did she wait so long to capture me?" Sango interjected.  
  
Sesshoumaru looked like he wanted to punch her for interrupting, but said, "Kikyou believed that if she captured you all too soon, then there wouldn't be time enough in between Naraku's damnation and her gathering the Shikon, so that you would all leave and split up. She waited deliberately until all of us were fair enough apart. But she did notice I had no intention of leaving Rin, or giving Rin her Shikon shard."  
  
"So you did mean to come back." Rin said so quietly that I'm sure you needed youkai hearing to hear her. But I'm sure Inuyasha heard it too.  
  
"However if Rin had died because you didn't give her her shard, then what would we have done?" Miroku interrupted the silence.  
  
"There is no time, monk, to branch out the "what-if" scenarios of this ordeal. The point is I gave it to her. Kikyou hadn't counted on it, because she wanted to take the extra shard and come back to kill me and not have to deal with Rin."  
  
"Then she captured me first because I was injured in a battle the day before." Sango said quietly.  
  
"That was her aim." Sesshoumaru said.  
  
"I don't think that Kikyou counted on Shippou and Rin getting alerted by anything." Inuyasha said in his spot.  
  
"Actually, she did." I said, "She summoned Rin and me to her village to slay a Bird of Paradise. I didn't even remember Rin until after she was knocked unconscious by the youkai."  
  
I noticed Sesshoumaru tense again, but then he relaxed. Rin said nothing beside him.  
  
~Miroku's POV~  
  
It was all coming together. But Kagome was gone, so we could not account for how and why she came here.  
  
"Why didn't she take your shards when she summoned you?" Inuyasha asked Shippou.  
  
"Because now I'm powerful enough to take her on, as well as Rin. She didn't count on anything like that. And when we were there, I noticed Sango's scent, but it had been so long I couldn't be sure." Shippou replied.  
  
Silence filled the hut as we absorbed everything we'd learned. Then I spoke.  
  
"It's clear what her plans are. And how she attempted to complete them. There's just. something."  
  
"Miroku, what are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"We feel like something's missing. Something important to account for." Sango spoke up.  
  
"You mean apart from Kagome's part of the story? As to why she didn't come back, even for a visit all these years?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Inuyasha, use your common sense. It's only been what? Ten, eleven years?" Sesshoumaru said.  
  
"That doesn't mean she had to stay away the entire time!" Inuyasha barked at him, "She could have at least pretended to care about what happened to us!"  
  
Inuyasha got up without another word, and stormed outside. Sesshoumaru looked quite unaffected, and Rin was a little stunned.  
  
"What was that all about?" She asked.  
  
"Nothing." I said quietly.  
  
Of course I could not deny myself that we all felt a pang of hurt that Kagome hadn't bothered to see if we were alright, and dropped in for a visit time to time, but none of us bothered to check on her either. I guess it was just fair that way. Inuyasha obviously felt it more than we did.  
  
~Inuyasha's POV~  
  
How dare he. He had no idea what it was like. He left Rin, not the other way around like Kagome. I didn't want to leave. Did she? Did she hate my intention of getting Kikyou to die so much that she would leave forever and leave us behind? No one deserved this. It was too much. And for Sesshoumaru to prance around saying things like that when he didn't even know anything about love or happiness. What an ass.  
  
~No POV~  
  
Kikyou sat calmly in a low tree, Kagome sprawled on the ground in front of it. "You don't have what I want, obviously, but you'll still have your uses. Your powers proved to peak Naraku's interest." She said.  
  
Kagome didn't move.  
  
"Maybe I should lift the spell and just leave you? No. Naraku has his reasons." Kikyou said, and laughed harshly, "But then again, I do hope he lets me kill you. You are nothing but a copy. a replica, if you will. If I don't get to kill you, I hope he does."  
  
Kikyou seemed unresolved as she watched her reincarnation with a look that was undistinguishable.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
Everyone else was in his or her own little world, all pretending to be asleep. Except for Sesshoumaru. He had long since sat down beside me, letting me lean against him like I used to, but he didn't try to sleep. Inuyasha hadn't come back yet; I didn't think he would.  
I walked outside, and I half expected Sesshoumaru to stop me, that look on his face like he used to when I was little. So much had changed. I'm not sure I even like what I've come to find after Naraku's demise. I shuddered angrily. This was his entire fault exactly like Kagome had said it was. I ran to the lake where I found I could be comfortable always.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Rin walked outside, oblivious it seemed, of anyone else. Then again, we were oblivious of her. I followed her. I thought someone might stop me, but no one did. I knew where she was going- the lake. Some reason or other she always went to the lake. Why did she find it so relaxing? Did I have place like that somewhere? Or was this that place?  
I found the lake again, gods it's been so long, and saw her swimming in it. I had the grace to blush and turned away, but she noticed me.  
  
"Shippou?!" She asked, a little alarmed I'd be that way.  
  
"Rin, hi. I didn't mean to.uh. I mean, didn't mean to come. up on you like this.." I stuttered.  
  
"Just go behind the tree and hide your eyes." She instructed. I did as told.  
  
I heard her get up from the water, but didn't look around. When she called out it was all right, I came back around to find her fully dressed again and sitting on a rock by the bank.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt your bath again." I said.  
  
"Again?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.  
  
"Uh. That's not what I meant. Ugh!" I said frustrated. Why is she putting me through this?  
  
"Relax, Shippou, I know what you meant." She laughed. Actually laughed.  
  
For a moment I was in perfect harmony. Just that one moment she laughed everything aligned itself in endless bliss stretching eternity to infinity and over again. It was melodious, and beautiful, graceful, everything she was and more. When I came out of my fantasyland, she was waving a hand in front of my face.  
  
"Shippou? Hello?" Rin said.  
  
"Huh? Sorry." I said again, and she laughed again. Oops! Don't go there, nope no! Ugh. Fantasy. I managed to knock myself out of it.  
  
"Rin are you happy now?" I asked quietly. She was surprised. I was too. I hadn't even been intending to ask her that.  
  
"I guess. It's not like it used to be though." Rin said.  
  
"Same with my group. That and Kagome's gone."  
  
"Shippou, I'm really, really sorry about that. I honestly didn't -" I cut her off.  
  
"It's alright Rin, I had no right to talk to you like that, to berate you for something so indifferent than everything else." I said.  
  
"Your forgiveness," Rin sighed, "I do not deserve it. Stupidity on my part caused you to lose something dear to you. I would feel the same if I lost Sesshoumaru again somehow."  
  
"You won't though. Not now Rin. We have more chance than we did before. Kagome as far as I know is still good with arrows, Inuyasha has his stuff, as does Sesshoumaru, Miroku will have the wind tunnel, and his own staff and magic, Sango has her boomerang, there's us, and Kirara." I said, "I think we're good."  
  
She hung her head silently for a few moments. When she looked up at me again, her eyes were shining, "I just. I don't know what to expect. I've never fought Naraku and neither have you. I don't doubt we have strong chance to win, but Shippou, does chance have a place in the game of fate?"  
  
She was very, very close to me now.my breath caught in my throat and I struggled to get my words out, "Yes. Yes it does."  
  
I put a hands around her waist, and put her own around my neck, as I drew her in so painfully slow. encasing her, wishing for the inevitable. 


	9. I missed, Twiceno problem this time

%! FlashbacK !%  
  
I took both swords and laid them before her on the table. Jaken just gawked at them wordlessly. Rin was almost fourteen now, and had mastered one weapon in particular: a sword. I was being asked to come to a nearby town in my lands because of a pesky youkai. I wanted to leave Rin with more protection than just Jaken.  
  
"Rin, I am only going to be gone for a day at most, but Jaken hasn't been so reliable to leave you with since you were six. In any case, use these if you get into trouble. Not Tensaiga, that heals and resurrects, and it doesn't fight." I explained.  
  
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said.  
  
It was sheer luck that I managed to get that annoying talking habit out of her. She had learned to stop talking about herself in third person. Without warning, or before I even managed to see her (which was secretly a pride to see) she wrapped her arms around me in a hug. Jaken, sickened I would lower myself so, walked out of the room and I hugged her back. I would deal with Jaken later.  
  
"Are you sure I can use those swords?" Rin asked into my shirt.  
  
"Yes, Rin. Goodbye." I said, and let go.  
  
"Bye, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She called to me as I walked out.  
  
And that was the last time I'd ever heard Rin. The next day I was captured somehow miraculously, by that dead miko who has tried to kill Inuyasha on more than one occasion.  
  
%! End of FlashbacK !%  
  
~Inuyasha's POV~  
  
And I felt it again. It was softer, her presence calling out to me. And I felt another one. Two. Kagome! I felt their presence. Suddenly, I caught the glimpse of more soul-catchers.  
  
"Sesshoumaru!" I yelled from behind Rin on Kirara. It was a disgrace to me that I should ride her, but unfortunately, Sesshoumaru wanted to get to Kaede's faster.  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
"Kikyou's soul-catchers! And Kagome is here!" I called.  
  
He flew closer to Kirara. "Who is Kagome?"  
  
"The girl who used to travel with me. The one who wore the funny looking kimonos." I said.  
  
Sesshoumaru flew a little farther and faster than before. I suppose that's his way of letting me know he knows.  
  
"Feh." I said.  
  
Rin looked behind her, "What is it, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Him." I said and jerked my head in Sesshoumaru's direction.  
  
Rin looked. "What about?"  
  
"He's just a bonehead, ok?" I nearly yelled. I'm sure he heard me, but he didn't do anything. Good thing too, I didn't have Tetsusaiga to use.  
  
However Rin DID do something. She knocked me off Kirara, smacking me upside the head.  
  
"Ouch, BITCH!" I yelled. She was like Kagome.  
  
"Rin." Sesshoumaru said warningly.  
  
"Gomen, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said, "Let's get Inuyasha, Kirara."  
  
~Sesshoumaru's POV~  
  
It had been so long, and yet, she still obeyed me without thought. What did I do that made her adore me so? Saving her life was nothing. That was also just a mere test. I would admit to no one that Rin was the closest thing I'd probably ever come to have a daughter. Unless, of course, I was forced. Then I thought of my land. Who had control of it now? I flew closer to Rin after she got back into the air with a disgruntled Inuyasha.  
  
"Rin," I said.  
  
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She replied.  
  
"Do you know who has control of my lands?" I asked.  
  
"Hai. Shippou the kit- I mean, the youkai." She said.  
  
"A kitsune has my land?" I asked. I looked toward Inuyasha.  
  
It would, after all, have fallen to Inuyasha to control the lands of our father, and if he'd taken off to search for Kikyou, then he must have given the land to this Shippou.  
  
"Inuyasha. Who is this Shippou?" I inquired.  
  
"The kitsune who helped Rin break the Shikon no Tama. I suppose he'd be a youkai now." Inuyasha replied.  
  
I suppose it's a good thing that Inuyasha put up less fight that before. That and that he didn't have Tetsusaiga. I was not ready for a fight just yet.  
  
"We need to hurry to the village, Kikyou's plans must be in effect now." I said.  
  
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said. What did I do to earn her affection like this?!  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Rin was gone. I had chased off Rin. How horrible could I be? Gods, I'm turning into Sesshoumaru! I walked back to the hut, the wound in my heart more pronounced than ever. I walked in, and sat down in Inuyasha's spot.  
  
"Where is Rin?" Miroku asked.  
  
"She left." I said blandly.  
  
"Left? Why?" Miroku was inquiring me because we needed her. It was my fault now.  
  
It was my fault Kagome is gone, that I didn't know where Inuyasha was; it's my fault that we're one shard down that we were before. Kagome might as well have been saying it was my fault instead of Inuyasha's.  
  
"Because. I yelled at her for not helping me get Kagome. All I managed to get from Kagome was her shard." I said holding up the big shard that was Kagome's.  
  
"Then I take it Kikyou still has Kagome." Miroku said calmly.  
  
He was being such an ass. There was no way anyone could mistake it otherwise.  
  
"Of course she still has Kagome! Haven't you been listening to me at all Miroku?!" I yelled.  
  
"Peace, Shippou. I must confirm everything I hear." Miroku said.  
  
"How could you be so calm? You said that Kikyou was likely to kill Kagome after taking her shard! Kagome doesn't have a shard now to take! I have it! And now Kikyou's going to kill her!" I yelled, springing up.  
  
"Shippou now is not the time to blame, or suspect. I made a theory, and that is all it was. If Kikyou wanted to kill Kagome, I'm sure she wouldn't have been modest and done it away from you!" Miroku said, his calm ebbing away in spite of himself, "She would have done it right in front of you. But she didn't, did she? So she needs Kagome for something."  
  
I calmed myself and sat back down. But before I could actually calm down, someone said, "Hey, you're in my spot."  
  
I jumped to my feet; hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga, all prepared for a fight at the familiar voice. And then I froze. It was Inuyasha.  
  
"Inuyasha!" I exclaimed.  
  
I heard from behind me Miroku get up, and Sango, despite the fact she had tried to make us believe she was asleep. Inuyasha looked the same as he always had. Two others came in behind him. Inuyasha's brother Sesshoumaru, and. Rin!  
  
"Rin!" I said.  
  
"Shippou." She said calmly. Her eyes were cold. I didn't understand.  
  
"Where are the others?" Inuyasha asked, "Or do I have to drag Kagome into our time kicking and screaming?"  
  
I would have laughed, but instead I said calmly, "Kagome has been kidnapped by Kikyou. I tried to reach her, but all I could get was her shard."  
  
I stole a glance at Rin, who by my statement, was staring at Sesshoumaru. I felt a bitter jealousy coming from nowhere. And Sesshoumaru. what was his story?  
  
"I think we should stop going over pettiness, and piece together information on the dead miko's plan." Sesshoumaru spoke.  
  
"Yes, we need to do that." I complied and sat down where Kagome used to sit. It was a little crowded, but we managed.  
  
Sesshoumaru stood against the door, and Rin sat down somewhat beside him. I felt a growl crescendo in my stomach, but then realized I had no right, and listened as Sesshoumaru explained what he needed to.  
  
"I was captured somehow by Kikyou, just after I left Rin. It was by all means, an accident. She was foolish and cocky enough to explain to me her plan after paralyzing me in the tomb." Sesshoumaru said in his usual monotone, "Kikyou claimed that she would capture all of us and take our shards. She didn't take mine, but said that she would come back for it, and my death."  
  
"Then why did she wait so long to capture me?" Sango interjected.  
  
Sesshoumaru looked like he wanted to punch her for interrupting, but said, "Kikyou believed that if she captured you all too soon, then there wouldn't be time enough in between Naraku's damnation and her gathering the Shikon, so that you would all leave and split up. She waited deliberately until all of us were fair enough apart. But she did notice I had no intention of leaving Rin, or giving Rin her Shikon shard."  
  
"So you did mean to come back." Rin said so quietly that I'm sure you needed youkai hearing to hear her. But I'm sure Inuyasha heard it too.  
  
"However if Rin had died because you didn't give her her shard, then what would we have done?" Miroku interrupted the silence.  
  
"There is no time, monk, to branch out the "what-if" scenarios of this ordeal. The point is I gave it to her. Kikyou hadn't counted on it, because she wanted to take the extra shard and come back to kill me and not have to deal with Rin."  
  
"Then she captured me first because I was injured in a battle the day before." Sango said quietly.  
  
"That was her aim." Sesshoumaru said.  
  
"I don't think that Kikyou counted on Shippou and Rin getting alerted by anything." Inuyasha said in his spot.  
  
"Actually, she did." I said, "She summoned Rin and me to her village to slay a Bird of Paradise. I didn't even remember Rin until after she was knocked unconscious by the youkai."  
  
I noticed Sesshoumaru tense again, but then he relaxed. Rin said nothing beside him.  
  
~Miroku's POV~  
  
It was all coming together. But Kagome was gone, so we could not account for how and why she came here.  
  
"Why didn't she take your shards when she summoned you?" Inuyasha asked Shippou.  
  
"Because now I'm powerful enough to take her on, as well as Rin. She didn't count on anything like that. And when we were there, I noticed Sango's scent, but it had been so long I couldn't be sure." Shippou replied.  
  
Silence filled the hut as we absorbed everything we'd learned. Then I spoke.  
  
"It's clear what her plans are. And how she attempted to complete them. There's just. something."  
  
"Miroku, what are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"We feel like something's missing. Something important to account for." Sango spoke up.  
  
"You mean apart from Kagome's part of the story? As to why she didn't come back, even for a visit all these years?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Inuyasha, use your common sense. It's only been what? Ten, eleven years?" Sesshoumaru said.  
  
"That doesn't mean she had to stay away the entire time!" Inuyasha barked at him, "She could have at least pretended to care about what happened to us!"  
  
Inuyasha got up without another word, and stormed outside. Sesshoumaru looked quite unaffected, and Rin was a little stunned.  
  
"What was that all about?" She asked.  
  
"Nothing." I said quietly.  
  
Of course I could not deny myself that we all felt a pang of hurt that Kagome hadn't bothered to see if we were alright, and dropped in for a visit time to time, but none of us bothered to check on her either. I guess it was just fair that way. Inuyasha obviously felt it more than we did.  
  
~Inuyasha's POV~  
  
How dare he. He had no idea what it was like. He left Rin, not the other way around like Kagome. I didn't want to leave. Did she? Did she hate my intention of getting Kikyou to die so much that she would leave forever and leave us behind? No one deserved this. It was too much. And for Sesshoumaru to prance around saying things like that when he didn't even know anything about love or happiness. What an ass.  
  
~No POV~  
  
Kikyou sat calmly in a low tree, Kagome sprawled on the ground in front of it. "You don't have what I want, obviously, but you'll still have your uses. Your powers proved to peak Naraku's interest." She said.  
  
Kagome didn't move.  
  
"Maybe I should lift the spell and just leave you? No. Naraku has his reasons." Kikyou said, and laughed harshly, "But then again, I do hope he lets me kill you. You are nothing but a copy. a replica, if you will. If I don't get to kill you, I hope he does."  
  
Kikyou seemed unresolved as she watched her reincarnation with a look that was undistinguishable.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
Everyone else was in his or her own little world, all pretending to be asleep. Except for Sesshoumaru. He had long since sat down beside me, letting me lean against him like I used to, but he didn't try to sleep. Inuyasha hadn't come back yet; I didn't think he would.  
I walked outside, and I half expected Sesshoumaru to stop me, that look on his face like he used to when I was little. So much had changed. I'm not sure I even like what I've come to find after Naraku's demise. I shuddered angrily. This was his entire fault exactly like Kagome had said it was. I ran to the lake where I found I could be comfortable always.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Rin walked outside, oblivious it seemed, of anyone else. Then again, we were oblivious of her. I followed her. I thought someone might stop me, but no one did. I knew where she was going- the lake. Some reason or other she always went to the lake. Why did she find it so relaxing? Did I have place like that somewhere? Or was this that place?  
I found the lake again, gods it's been so long, and saw her swimming in it. I had the grace to blush and turned away, but she noticed me.  
  
"Shippou?!" She asked, a little alarmed I'd be that way.  
  
"Rin, hi. I didn't mean to.uh. I mean, didn't mean to come. up on you like this.." I stuttered.  
  
"Just go behind the tree and hide your eyes." She instructed. I did as told.  
  
I heard her get up from the water, but didn't look around. When she called out it was all right, I came back around to find her fully dressed again and sitting on a rock by the bank.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt your bath again." I said.  
  
"Again?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.  
  
"Uh. That's not what I meant. Ugh!" I said frustrated. Why is she putting me through this?  
  
"Relax, Shippou, I know what you meant." She laughed. Actually laughed.  
  
For a moment I was in perfect harmony. Just that one moment she laughed everything aligned itself in endless bliss stretching eternity to infinity and over again. It was melodious, and beautiful, graceful, everything she was and more. When I came out of my fantasyland, she was waving a hand in front of my face.  
  
"Shippou? Hello?" Rin said.  
  
"Huh? Sorry." I said again, and she laughed again. Oops! Don't go there, nope no! Ugh. Fantasy. I managed to knock myself out of it.  
  
"Rin are you happy now?" I asked quietly. She was surprised. I was too. I hadn't even been intending to ask her that.  
  
"I guess. It's not like it used to be though." Rin said.  
  
"Same with my group. That and Kagome's gone."  
  
"Shippou, I'm really, really sorry about that. I honestly didn't -" I cut her off.  
  
"It's alright Rin, I had no right to talk to you like that, to berate you for something so indifferent than everything else." I said.  
  
"Your forgiveness," Rin sighed, "I do not deserve it. Stupidity on my part caused you to lose something dear to you. I would feel the same if I lost Sesshoumaru again somehow."  
  
"You won't though. Not now Rin. We have more chance than we did before. Kagome as far as I know is still good with arrows, Inuyasha has his stuff, as does Sesshoumaru, Miroku will have the wind tunnel, and his own staff and magic, Sango has her boomerang, there's us, and Kirara." I said, "I think we're good."  
  
She hung her head silently for a few moments. When she looked up at me again, her eyes were shining, "I just. I don't know what to expect. I've never fought Naraku and neither have you. I don't doubt we have strong chance to win, but Shippou, does chance have a place in the game of fate?"  
  
She was very, very close to me now.my breath caught in my throat and I struggled to get my words out, "Yes. Yes it does."  
  
I put a hands around her waist, and put her own around my neck, as I drew her in so painfully slow. encasing her, wishing for the inevitable. 


	10. Arrows and Possession

%! FlashbacK !%  
  
I took both swords and laid them before her on the table. Jaken just gawked at them wordlessly. Rin was almost fourteen now, and had mastered one weapon in particular: a sword. I was being asked to come to a nearby town in my lands because of a pesky youkai. I wanted to leave Rin with more protection than just Jaken.  
  
"Rin, I am only going to be gone for a day at most, but Jaken hasn't been so reliable to leave you with since you were six. In any case, use these if you get into trouble. Not Tensaiga, that heals and resurrects, and it doesn't fight." I explained.  
  
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said.  
  
It was sheer luck that I managed to get that annoying talking habit out of her. She had learned to stop talking about herself in third person. Without warning, or before I even managed to see her (which was secretly a pride to see) she wrapped her arms around me in a hug. Jaken, sickened I would lower myself so, walked out of the room and I hugged her back. I would deal with Jaken later.  
  
"Are you sure I can use those swords?" Rin asked into my shirt.  
  
"Yes, Rin. Goodbye." I said, and let go.  
  
"Bye, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She called to me as I walked out.  
  
And that was the last time I'd ever heard Rin. The next day I was captured somehow miraculously, by that dead miko who has tried to kill Inuyasha on more than one occasion.  
  
%! End of FlashbacK !%  
  
~Inuyasha's POV~  
  
And I felt it again. It was softer, her presence calling out to me. And I felt another one. Two. Kagome! I felt their presence. Suddenly, I caught the glimpse of more soul-catchers.  
  
"Sesshoumaru!" I yelled from behind Rin on Kirara. It was a disgrace to me that I should ride her, but unfortunately, Sesshoumaru wanted to get to Kaede's faster.  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
"Kikyou's soul-catchers! And Kagome is here!" I called.  
  
He flew closer to Kirara. "Who is Kagome?"  
  
"The girl who used to travel with me. The one who wore the funny looking kimonos." I said.  
  
Sesshoumaru flew a little farther and faster than before. I suppose that's his way of letting me know he knows.  
  
"Feh." I said.  
  
Rin looked behind her, "What is it, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Him." I said and jerked my head in Sesshoumaru's direction.  
  
Rin looked. "What about?"  
  
"He's just a bonehead, ok?" I nearly yelled. I'm sure he heard me, but he didn't do anything. Good thing too, I didn't have Tetsusaiga to use.  
  
However Rin DID do something. She knocked me off Kirara, smacking me upside the head.  
  
"Ouch, BITCH!" I yelled. She was like Kagome.  
  
"Rin." Sesshoumaru said warningly.  
  
"Gomen, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said, "Let's get Inuyasha, Kirara."  
  
~Sesshoumaru's POV~  
  
It had been so long, and yet, she still obeyed me without thought. What did I do that made her adore me so? Saving her life was nothing. That was also just a mere test. I would admit to no one that Rin was the closest thing I'd probably ever come to have a daughter. Unless, of course, I was forced. Then I thought of my land. Who had control of it now? I flew closer to Rin after she got back into the air with a disgruntled Inuyasha.  
  
"Rin," I said.  
  
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She replied.  
  
"Do you know who has control of my lands?" I asked.  
  
"Hai. Shippou the kit- I mean, the youkai." She said.  
  
"A kitsune has my land?" I asked. I looked toward Inuyasha.  
  
It would, after all, have fallen to Inuyasha to control the lands of our father, and if he'd taken off to search for Kikyou, then he must have given the land to this Shippou.  
  
"Inuyasha. Who is this Shippou?" I inquired.  
  
"The kitsune who helped Rin break the Shikon no Tama. I suppose he'd be a youkai now." Inuyasha replied.  
  
I suppose it's a good thing that Inuyasha put up less fight that before. That and that he didn't have Tetsusaiga. I was not ready for a fight just yet.  
  
"We need to hurry to the village, Kikyou's plans must be in effect now." I said.  
  
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said. What did I do to earn her affection like this?!  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Rin was gone. I had chased off Rin. How horrible could I be? Gods, I'm turning into Sesshoumaru! I walked back to the hut, the wound in my heart more pronounced than ever. I walked in, and sat down in Inuyasha's spot.  
  
"Where is Rin?" Miroku asked.  
  
"She left." I said blandly.  
  
"Left? Why?" Miroku was inquiring me because we needed her. It was my fault now.  
  
It was my fault Kagome is gone, that I didn't know where Inuyasha was; it's my fault that we're one shard down that we were before. Kagome might as well have been saying it was my fault instead of Inuyasha's.  
  
"Because. I yelled at her for not helping me get Kagome. All I managed to get from Kagome was her shard." I said holding up the big shard that was Kagome's.  
  
"Then I take it Kikyou still has Kagome." Miroku said calmly.  
  
He was being such an ass. There was no way anyone could mistake it otherwise.  
  
"Of course she still has Kagome! Haven't you been listening to me at all Miroku?!" I yelled.  
  
"Peace, Shippou. I must confirm everything I hear." Miroku said.  
  
"How could you be so calm? You said that Kikyou was likely to kill Kagome after taking her shard! Kagome doesn't have a shard now to take! I have it! And now Kikyou's going to kill her!" I yelled, springing up.  
  
"Shippou now is not the time to blame, or suspect. I made a theory, and that is all it was. If Kikyou wanted to kill Kagome, I'm sure she wouldn't have been modest and done it away from you!" Miroku said, his calm ebbing away in spite of himself, "She would have done it right in front of you. But she didn't, did she? So she needs Kagome for something."  
  
I calmed myself and sat back down. But before I could actually calm down, someone said, "Hey, you're in my spot."  
  
I jumped to my feet; hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga, all prepared for a fight at the familiar voice. And then I froze. It was Inuyasha.  
  
"Inuyasha!" I exclaimed.  
  
I heard from behind me Miroku get up, and Sango, despite the fact she had tried to make us believe she was asleep. Inuyasha looked the same as he always had. Two others came in behind him. Inuyasha's brother Sesshoumaru, and. Rin!  
  
"Rin!" I said.  
  
"Shippou." She said calmly. Her eyes were cold. I didn't understand.  
  
"Where are the others?" Inuyasha asked, "Or do I have to drag Kagome into our time kicking and screaming?"  
  
I would have laughed, but instead I said calmly, "Kagome has been kidnapped by Kikyou. I tried to reach her, but all I could get was her shard."  
  
I stole a glance at Rin, who by my statement, was staring at Sesshoumaru. I felt a bitter jealousy coming from nowhere. And Sesshoumaru. what was his story?  
  
"I think we should stop going over pettiness, and piece together information on the dead miko's plan." Sesshoumaru spoke.  
  
"Yes, we need to do that." I complied and sat down where Kagome used to sit. It was a little crowded, but we managed.  
  
Sesshoumaru stood against the door, and Rin sat down somewhat beside him. I felt a growl crescendo in my stomach, but then realized I had no right, and listened as Sesshoumaru explained what he needed to.  
  
"I was captured somehow by Kikyou, just after I left Rin. It was by all means, an accident. She was foolish and cocky enough to explain to me her plan after paralyzing me in the tomb." Sesshoumaru said in his usual monotone, "Kikyou claimed that she would capture all of us and take our shards. She didn't take mine, but said that she would come back for it, and my death."  
  
"Then why did she wait so long to capture me?" Sango interjected.  
  
Sesshoumaru looked like he wanted to punch her for interrupting, but said, "Kikyou believed that if she captured you all too soon, then there wouldn't be time enough in between Naraku's damnation and her gathering the Shikon, so that you would all leave and split up. She waited deliberately until all of us were fair enough apart. But she did notice I had no intention of leaving Rin, or giving Rin her Shikon shard."  
  
"So you did mean to come back." Rin said so quietly that I'm sure you needed youkai hearing to hear her. But I'm sure Inuyasha heard it too.  
  
"However if Rin had died because you didn't give her her shard, then what would we have done?" Miroku interrupted the silence.  
  
"There is no time, monk, to branch out the "what-if" scenarios of this ordeal. The point is I gave it to her. Kikyou hadn't counted on it, because she wanted to take the extra shard and come back to kill me and not have to deal with Rin."  
  
"Then she captured me first because I was injured in a battle the day before." Sango said quietly.  
  
"That was her aim." Sesshoumaru said.  
  
"I don't think that Kikyou counted on Shippou and Rin getting alerted by anything." Inuyasha said in his spot.  
  
"Actually, she did." I said, "She summoned Rin and me to her village to slay a Bird of Paradise. I didn't even remember Rin until after she was knocked unconscious by the youkai."  
  
I noticed Sesshoumaru tense again, but then he relaxed. Rin said nothing beside him.  
  
~Miroku's POV~  
  
It was all coming together. But Kagome was gone, so we could not account for how and why she came here.  
  
"Why didn't she take your shards when she summoned you?" Inuyasha asked Shippou.  
  
"Because now I'm powerful enough to take her on, as well as Rin. She didn't count on anything like that. And when we were there, I noticed Sango's scent, but it had been so long I couldn't be sure." Shippou replied.  
  
Silence filled the hut as we absorbed everything we'd learned. Then I spoke.  
  
"It's clear what her plans are. And how she attempted to complete them. There's just. something."  
  
"Miroku, what are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"We feel like something's missing. Something important to account for." Sango spoke up.  
  
"You mean apart from Kagome's part of the story? As to why she didn't come back, even for a visit all these years?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Inuyasha, use your common sense. It's only been what? Ten, eleven years?" Sesshoumaru said.  
  
"That doesn't mean she had to stay away the entire time!" Inuyasha barked at him, "She could have at least pretended to care about what happened to us!"  
  
Inuyasha got up without another word, and stormed outside. Sesshoumaru looked quite unaffected, and Rin was a little stunned.  
  
"What was that all about?" She asked.  
  
"Nothing." I said quietly.  
  
Of course I could not deny myself that we all felt a pang of hurt that Kagome hadn't bothered to see if we were alright, and dropped in for a visit time to time, but none of us bothered to check on her either. I guess it was just fair that way. Inuyasha obviously felt it more than we did.  
  
~Inuyasha's POV~  
  
How dare he. He had no idea what it was like. He left Rin, not the other way around like Kagome. I didn't want to leave. Did she? Did she hate my intention of getting Kikyou to die so much that she would leave forever and leave us behind? No one deserved this. It was too much. And for Sesshoumaru to prance around saying things like that when he didn't even know anything about love or happiness. What an ass.  
  
~No POV~  
  
Kikyou sat calmly in a low tree, Kagome sprawled on the ground in front of it. "You don't have what I want, obviously, but you'll still have your uses. Your powers proved to peak Naraku's interest." She said.  
  
Kagome didn't move.  
  
"Maybe I should lift the spell and just leave you? No. Naraku has his reasons." Kikyou said, and laughed harshly, "But then again, I do hope he lets me kill you. You are nothing but a copy. a replica, if you will. If I don't get to kill you, I hope he does."  
  
Kikyou seemed unresolved as she watched her reincarnation with a look that was undistinguishable.  
  
~Rin's POV~  
  
Everyone else was in his or her own little world, all pretending to be asleep. Except for Sesshoumaru. He had long since sat down beside me, letting me lean against him like I used to, but he didn't try to sleep. Inuyasha hadn't come back yet; I didn't think he would.  
I walked outside, and I half expected Sesshoumaru to stop me, that look on his face like he used to when I was little. So much had changed. I'm not sure I even like what I've come to find after Naraku's demise. I shuddered angrily. This was his entire fault exactly like Kagome had said it was. I ran to the lake where I found I could be comfortable always.  
  
~Shippou's POV~  
  
Rin walked outside, oblivious it seemed, of anyone else. Then again, we were oblivious of her. I followed her. I thought someone might stop me, but no one did. I knew where she was going- the lake. Some reason or other she always went to the lake. Why did she find it so relaxing? Did I have place like that somewhere? Or was this that place?  
I found the lake again, gods it's been so long, and saw her swimming in it. I had the grace to blush and turned away, but she noticed me.  
  
"Shippou?!" She asked, a little alarmed I'd be that way.  
  
"Rin, hi. I didn't mean to.uh. I mean, didn't mean to come. up on you like this.." I stuttered.  
  
"Just go behind the tree and hide your eyes." She instructed. I did as told.  
  
I heard her get up from the water, but didn't look around. When she called out it was all right, I came back around to find her fully dressed again and sitting on a rock by the bank.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt your bath again." I said.  
  
"Again?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.  
  
"Uh. That's not what I meant. Ugh!" I said frustrated. Why is she putting me through this?  
  
"Relax, Shippou, I know what you meant." She laughed. Actually laughed.  
  
For a moment I was in perfect harmony. Just that one moment she laughed everything aligned itself in endless bliss stretching eternity to infinity and over again. It was melodious, and beautiful, graceful, everything she was and more. When I came out of my fantasyland, she was waving a hand in front of my face.  
  
"Shippou? Hello?" Rin said.  
  
"Huh? Sorry." I said again, and she laughed again. Oops! Don't go there, nope no! Ugh. Fantasy. I managed to knock myself out of it.  
  
"Rin are you happy now?" I asked quietly. She was surprised. I was too. I hadn't even been intending to ask her that.  
  
"I guess. It's not like it used to be though." Rin said.  
  
"Same with my group. That and Kagome's gone."  
  
"Shippou, I'm really, really sorry about that. I honestly didn't -" I cut her off.  
  
"It's alright Rin, I had no right to talk to you like that, to berate you for something so indifferent than everything else." I said.  
  
"Your forgiveness," Rin sighed, "I do not deserve it. Stupidity on my part caused you to lose something dear to you. I would feel the same if I lost Sesshoumaru again somehow."  
  
"You won't though. Not now Rin. We have more chance than we did before. Kagome as far as I know is still good with arrows, Inuyasha has his stuff, as does Sesshoumaru, Miroku will have the wind tunnel, and his own staff and magic, Sango has her boomerang, there's us, and Kirara." I said, "I think we're good."  
  
She hung her head silently for a few moments. When she looked up at me again, her eyes were shining, "I just. I don't know what to expect. I've never fought Naraku and neither have you. I don't doubt we have strong chance to win, but Shippou, does chance have a place in the game of fate?"  
  
She was very, very close to me now.my breath caught in my throat and I struggled to get my words out, "Yes. Yes it does."  
  
I put a hands around her waist, and put her own around my neck, as I drew her in so painfully slow. encasing her, wishing for the inevitable. 


End file.
